Amethyst
by Xandra the Blue
Summary: Set after RoTK, and part one during the scourging of the shire. A strange child is found, and Frodo decides to stay in the shire and adopts the child as his own. Their story, and why she is not all that a hobbit child seems.
1. To have been loved and lost

Amethyst  
  
A story based on my favourite semiprecious rock.  
  
Set after the scourging the shire, this is an alternative ending to RoTK. I love these types of stories, and I had written one a bit like this, but it wasn't very good. If you like this please say.  
  
Basically a child is found and Frodo decides to stay in the shire instead of leaving. He adopts the child as his own and this is about what happened, and why this child is special to more than Frodo, Sam and Rose. AND, no, SHE DID NOT FIND ANOTHER RING! He, hem. I just needed to get that clear.  
  
Authors note: There are two Frodo's in my story. Sam's son, Frodo and MR Frodo, the Frodo we all know and love. I think you'll be able to tell the difference between the two. I hope so….  
  
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By the inspection of the lockholes they came apon an old hole that had been burned out badly by sharkey's men. Merry and Pippin were the first to walk in, Merry carefully lifting a piece of burned out wood out of the way. Pippin stepped in and made a stomach turning crush as he stepped on the mass of burned clothes, furniture and other things beyond recognition.  
  
Sam stepped into the hole next, trying not to feel the ash beneath his feet, or at least think about it. Frodo walked in after them.  
  
Merry breathed in through a gap in his teeth. 'This place got burned out badly. I wonder why?'  
  
'There doesn't have to be a reason when you deal with Sauroman,' said Frodo bitterly,' I suppose these hobbits were just unlucky enough to beak one of his "rules"'  
  
'There were enough of them Mr Frodo.' Said Sam, 'Anyway, they say's it was only burned out two day ago. Maybe some one survived the fire.'  
  
'I doubt it,' said Merry, 'It must have been hotter than smag's breath in here.'  
  
'We're there's life there's hope Merry,' said Pippin hitting him over the back.  
  
'Maybe we should spilt up?' suggested Frodo,' That way we can find any survivors faster.' Merry and Pippin nodded and walked in the left together while Sam walked to the right. Frodo walked on straight. The various ashes under his feet cracked and make uncomfortable noises as he walked down the corridor.  
  
He saw the upturned tables and chairs, the blackened metal heart in the kitchen, the half-burned toy on the floor next to his foot. The wooden supports had fallen over the kitchen floor. Frodo looked in a cupboard hoping vainly to find some life, or at least some sign of… of what had happened or….  
  
He looked at the halt burned toy next to his foot again. It was a rag doll. The legs had been burned away, the face blackened with soot and singled, but the horribly perverse smile on its face…It grinned nervously at him. He threw it on the floor again. There must have been a family living here at some point, before the fire.  
  
Frodo looked at a door hanging off its hinges. It led to a pantry of some kind. Frodo pushed the door gently. It let out an ear-piercing squeak, before it crashed to the ground in a clutter. Then some of the plaster fell off the wall in a powdery snowfall. Frodo stepped back in surprise.  
  
He stepped through the doorframe and looked down to where, if the stairs had still been there, they would have led. Frodo saw that there was a person in a rocking chair, still rocking. Frodo didn't think. He lowered himself down and ran over to the rocking chair. He grabbed their shoulder and said, 'Hello? Are you hurt?'  
  
Then he turned the chair around. What he saw disturbed him enough for him to let out a little yelp. There was some one in the chair all right, but it was Lotho.  
  
The body of his least favourite cousin sat, his brown eyes wide open in fear, and a knife wound in his chest. There had been rigor mortis, and it had set in a long time ago. The body horribly slumped forward and fell to the floor with a splat. Frodo screamed and backed away from the chair. It rocked still, but it slowed down immensely. Frodo breathed heavily and fast and tried to breathe properly again.  
  
'Mr Frodo, what is it?' Frodo turned around in a panic. Sam stood at the top of where the stair wasn't. He unrolled a rope and shimmed down.  
  
'Sam….' Said Frodo, unable to say, * I've just found a body*  
  
'Mr Frodo, what is…' he saw what Frodo had seen. He gulped himself, but he didn't say anything. 'Mr Frodo, maybe we better get him out of the house to bury him.'  
  
Frodo seemed to return to his senses. 'All right Sam. It just gave me a shock that's all.'  
  
Sam wisely didn't make an issue of it. He Gerry rigged a plank of wood and the rope to make a sort of stretcher and helped Frodo to climb back up as they both lifted the body out of the pantry. Neither of them dared to meet the others eyes.  
  
They lay the body out in the kitchen and looked around some more. Then, after a few minutes Sam pulled up a chair and sat down to rest. Frodo couldn't rest, even though his age had been catching up on him slowly. He sat on the floor, trying to think of where to look next.  
  
Then, for some reason he though of the rag doll he had seen earlier. He was sitting next to it again. He picked it up. One of the bead eyes had fallen off the face, leaving nothing but a short trail of thread. To be honest, that was the only sign of a child having lived here.  
  
Frodo had a sudden urge to dig through the rubble on the other side of the kitchen, where it had piled up to it's highest. He crawled over to it on his knees and started to dig with his hands.  
  
'Mr Frodo, Mr Frodo sir, what're doing?' asked Sam, getting up.  
  
'Sam! Don't ask questions! Help me dig!' Sam helped him get through the rubble until they saw…  
  
'A child? How could A child survive this?' asked Sam  
  
Frodo looked the child itself. It had long red coloured hair, not red as in ginger, and not red as in brown, but pure red, a bit like a darker blood. It sat under a perfect cave of rafters and rubble in a white unstained dress. It seemed to have hardly noticed them, but continued to play with the ash. AS the grey sand ran through the child's fingers, it looked at Sam and Frodo.  
  
The child had purple eyes.  
  
Frodo had to do a double take. The child had PURPLE eyes! Not purple all they way, she had the white of the eyes and the pupil, but the iris was purple. Purple as the stone the child wore around her neck. Yes, that had attracted attention away from the sullen face. On a necklace made from a piece of string it had a purple stone hanging from it. It wasn't dreadfully interesting, or, Valor forbid, magical to the eye, it was just very…unexpected.  
  
The both stared at the child. Then Sam picked it up in his arms. The child didn't seem to mind. Frodo looked at it. She was definitely a hobbit child. It was far to small to be anything else, but something wasn't quiet right. No hobbit child had purple eyes for one thing, the feet seemed a little too small, the hair seemed to long, and she was far too thin to be a hobbit child.  
  
The child reached out a small hand to Frodo and said, 'Dada?'  
  
Frodo looked at her with surprise. Then the child seemed to struggled and shouted again, 'Dada! Dada! Dada!' she reached of for him as she kicked and squealed.  
  
'Sam?' he said wearily.  
  
'I think Mr Frodo,' said Sam with a little too much conviction, 'That you better take her.'  
  
He handed the child over to him and Frodo held her like a bomb liable to explode.  
  
'Sam? I have no idea what to do!' he said, unable to move his arms, 'I don't know much about children.'  
  
'Mr Frodo,' said Samwise with a little laugh, 'It's quiet easy. Just hold her like I was.'  
  
Frodo slowly raised her to his shoulder, as she seemed to quieten. Then she threw her arms around his neck and Frodo held her. She seemed to like being held by him, and rest her head on his shoulder and whispered into his ear, 'Dada, dada.'  
  
Frodo stood there with the tiny child on his shoulder. Sam noticed that he seemed completely at peace for once, not in some way disturbed. Then Frodo laughed. 'I have no idea what to call her!'  
  
Sam smiled. 'Well Mr Frodo, begging your pardon, maybe we should try to find her parents.'  
  
Frodo looked a little worried for a second. Then he sighed. 'Maybe you're right Samwise. '  
  
The child didn't seem to understand what was going on. Then she stirred a little, but nothing else.  
  
'Sam, Frodo, we didn't find anything but ash and…' Merry walked in through the doorframe. Then they noticed that Frodo was holding a child.  
  
'Frodo?' asked Merry in a calm voice, 'where did you find that child?'  
  
'Under some rubble. Why?'  
  
'Nothing.' He said, 'But where are her parents? She doesn't look like she's been there very long. Her dress has hardly any dirt on it. '  
  
Pippin walked in. They he saw the child in Frodo's arms. 'Ahh, isn't she cute.' He cooed when he saw the child. The child turned its head to look at him. He let out a short scream and stepped back.  
  
'What on middle earth is wrong with that child's eyes?' He exclaimed.  
  
'I don't know.' Said Frodo, 'But I don't think she's dangerous.'  
  
'Not dangerous? She had purple eyes! You cannot take it for granted that she is not dangerous!'  
  
'Pippin,' said Frodo, 'I know about real danger. I know she isn't dangerous, but we need to find her parents.'  
  
Pippin did not want to argue, but from that moment he held a conviction that something was very, very wrong with her and it would somehow affect all of them.  
  
They crunched out of the burned hole, squinting in the bright sunlight. The child held her hand up to the sunlight as her pupils contracted in the light. Suddenly Rose ran up to Sam and said to him, 'What on earth are you doin' in their Sam! You've got work to do!'  
  
'Rose, ' he said,' We were jus' searchin' that burned out hole! We thought there might be people inside, and there was. Lotho was in there…'  
  
'Sam, that might 'ave jus' been Wormtongue at work, but that hole hasn't had people in there since you was a child. No one when in there during Sharkey's time either, didn't you know?'  
  
Sam suddenly felt uncomfortable, 'Not even a Family…'  
  
Rose rolled her eyes, 'Samwise Gamgee! Not even a mouse 'as been in there since We was three! There is work to do!'  
  
Rose,' said Frodo,' If that is so, then how do you explain this?' He turned around with the child in his arms.  
  
Rose looked at the child. 'You foun' her in there?' she said after a few seconds.  
  
'Yes. She was under the rubble, do you know her?'  
  
'No, I never even heard of a hobbit with red hair and…. Violet eyes?' Rose seemed confused.  
  
'That's what I said.' Interrupted Pippin into the silence that followed, 'No child should have violet eyes.'  
  
'Hush, Mr Peregrine.' She said, 'I'm jus' trying to think. No one has lost a child like that, and there have been many a child lost in these dark times. ' Rose looked so sad when she said that.  
  
Sam put his arm around her and she let a tear drop before she looked into Sam's eyes. Then she smiled and put on a brave face. 'Shall I take her for a while Mr Frodo? Jus' while you finish off today's work? '  
  
Frodo smiled and said, 'All right Rose. ' Then, to the child her said,' Go with Rose now, she'll keep an eye on you.' The child seemed to under stand as he said, 'I'll be back for you.' The child seemed extremely relieved to hear this.  
  
'What's she called Mr Frodo?' Rose asked as she arranged the child in her arms.  
  
'I don't know, but she wears a necklace with a purple stone on it.' He took the stone and had a closer look at it. He studied it for a little while and said,' It's an Amethyst stone.'  
  
'Well, that sound's a nice enough name for you,' she said, looking at the child, 'Doesn't it Amethyst?'  
  
The child smiled at her. She smiled back and walked off, leaving the four male hobbits feeling a little uncertain. Then they walked off to the next job.  
  
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Frodo never found the child's parents, and everyone seemed to refuse any knowledge of her, but he had fallen in love with her and her beautiful eyes. Sam and Rose moved in with him and Amethyst. Merry and Pippin kept in close contact with all of them and nothing particularly interesting happen to any of them, except Frodo decided to stay with them, and not go to the havens and Sam and Rose did have thirteen kids, not including Amethyst.  
  
Nothing at all interesting happened, until the Amethyst was fifteen. This is the story of what happened.  
  
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Thank you for reading. I must really get around to doing something good. 


	2. Time passes as per usual.

Amethyst: Chapter two  
  
Okay, chapter two. It's a little pointless, but a nice lead up to chapter three. Trust me, I've got much planned for Amethyst and Frodo later. It will become clearer chapter by chapter.  
  
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So, time pasted, but that wasn't particularly unusual. Time also caught up with Frodo, so now he did finally look his age. Sort of. He was lucky enough to look a little younger than he really was, so he looked about sixty, instead of sixty-five.  
  
However, Amethyst never did grow out of her queerness. Her hair was still red, but had gone much darker, now looking like mahogany. Her eyes had remained purple, and if anything had become more bright and sparkling than ever. She had filled out a bit, though. No one could live in a hobbit household and not fill out a bit. She still looked quiet thin when compared to the other hobbit child though, like a willow tree next to a forest of sturdy oaks. But she still was a little too tall for her age.  
  
She had though adopted many things off Frodo, even though he was not her really parent. She had inherited his adventurous nature, his love of stories, and for sure, his love of reading, writing and his imagination.  
  
The money Bilbo (okay, he gave Sam that bag. I image if that was a whole bag of money and the stuff Bilbo's dad had left him…. just use your imaginations people!) had left him was enough to last the whole family of them for a long time, if they were careful, with of course Frodo and Sam's jobs as Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Frodo had to admit that he spoilt all the children when he could, especially Amethyst. After all, she was his special girl, as he occasionally called her.  
  
Right now she and the eldest two of Sam's children had gone out to play, and were in one of the many forests outside the shire. Amethyst ran ahead and swung around a tree.  
  
'What shall we play?' asked Frodo, staring at her.  
  
'I know!' she said,' We'll play The adventurers! I'll be Amethyst the Red, Elle can be Queen Elanor of the elves and you can be Saruman the grey!'  
  
'Saruman?' said Frodo angrily, 'Why do I always have to be Saruman the Grey? I hate being Saruman the grey!'  
  
' You know we aren't allowed to play that Amy!' said Elanor as she caught up with them (Amy is her nickname, or at least a shortening), 'Mum, Dad an' Mr Frodo say that!'  
  
'I know what they say, but we aren't hurting people, and it was playing stories from the red book were aren't allowed to do.' Said Amethyst rolling her eyes.  
  
'Yeah, but I'm not playing Saruman!' said Frodo.  
  
'Okay then,' said Amethyst, 'who'll you be? If you're not Saruman, we've got no one to beat.'  
  
'Why can't are enemies be invisible?' asked Frodo, 'That would have everything better.'  
  
'No it wouldn't,' said Amethyst,' 'cause if we can't see them, we wouldn't know if they were enemies or not. '  
  
'Can't we pretend?' pleaded Frodo, 'All this I pretend anyway.'  
  
'Okay,' said Amethyst. She started to look for some sticks that she wanted. Then she picked up a sturdy stick and a thinner one. She put the thinner one in the string of her apron and picked up her sturdy staff. Elanor picked up a long this stick and put that into her belt. They both waited for Frodo to come back.  
  
When they did they were in for a surprise. He wore some pieces of bark on the chest, a long swordstick in his hand and another piece of bark as a shield.  
  
'I'm Frodo, knight of the shire!' he said.  
  
'Right, so what will we be doing?' asked Elanor after a few seconds.  
  
'Err…' started Amethyst. Then an idea came into her head. ' I know! The brave three were walking through the forests when…. They came across a village! The village had a dragon in the nearby caves and the townspeople want us all kill the dragon!'  
  
'Dragon? How big is it?' asked Elanor.  
  
'Huge!' exclaimed Amethyst, 'So big that it could eat the whole village!'  
  
'So why didn't it?' asked Frodo.  
  
'Because it wouldn't be fun if it did.' Said Amethyst, 'So, its stolen all the villagers jewels and money, so we have to fight it to get it all back. Its also been eating people!'  
  
They all though about this. Then Elanor asked, 'So, where's the cave?'  
  
'In a mountain nearby.' Then she pointed to a hill they were next to, 'I know where it is! It's up there. ' She pointed at the tree's,' follow me valiant knight and elf! '  
  
She ran forward, pointing her staff at the trees. Frodo followed her at close quarters, while Elanor ran next to her, with her "sword" out. Frodo ran the other side of the older girl, and brought his sword out.  
  
Then they saw a tree root, perfect for quiet a few hobbit children to hide in. Amethyst smiled at them and she brought out her own sword and ran in. Elanor ran in afterwards and Amethyst shouted, 'finally Dragon! We have you!' As Frodo ran in, he saw his sister fighting an invisible dragon, while Amethyst performed a spell on it to weaken it.  
  
Frodo ran in, and as the elven queen stabbed through the scales, she could not defeat the dragon herself. Frodo felt the sword in his hand. Then he ran in, and his sister screamed, 'Sir Frodo! '  
  
'Queen Elanor!' he shouted back, 'You must stab the demon dragon in the head! '  
  
'I'll climb him then. ' Said Elanor. She pretended to be climbing up the neck of the dragon.' I'm about to stab him!' she plunged her sword into his neck. 'Finally! He is dead!'  
  
'Not quiet!' shouted Frodo, 'I must stab him in the heart!'  
  
Frodo pretended to dodge the claws of the ferocious dragon as he went to put his sword in the beast heart.  
  
'I must cast a scale weakening spell!' said Amethyst. She made up a rhyme, and then she said, 'Kill him now!'  
  
Frodo put his sword into the invisible dragon. It fell to the ground with a thump, screaming as the life flapped away from it. They were about to walk away when Amethyst shouted, 'Look! The beast still stirs! I will finish it off with a fireball! ' Then she pointed her staff at the invisible dragon, and an equally invisible fireball destroyed the dragon, as it disappeared into the dust.  
  
'Did you see how I stabbed that dragon!' shouted Frodo as Elanor and Amethyst crawled out of the hide hole.  
  
'Yeah, an' did you see how I was holdin' onto the dragons head an' I didn't let go, an' how I was nearly thrown off and how….'  
  
'Did anyone see my fireball!' said Amethyst. There was no answer. They both were talking about what they were doing when Amethyst heard a rustle in the forest.  
  
'Sh….' she said, 'I think I heard something.'  
  
'What was it?' asked Frodo, thinking that it was another game, 'Another Dragon? If it's another dragon I'll slice it's….'  
  
Elanor had gone quiet too, first of all out of the fun of the game, then in absolute seriousness.  
  
'Shut up Frodo, I think it's something real.'  
  
Frodo still didn't get it. 'And after that I'll….'  
  
Amethyst pulled him down to the ground as they listened. 'Big folk!' she whispered, 'I can here footsteps. We must hide!'  
  
Elanor could tell that she wasn't joking. Frodo and Elanor crawled back into the tree root, after Amethyst. They all lay still as they heard the footsteps walk past. Frodo held onto Elanor as they waited for the big person to leave. They saw a white robe flash past them, as well as white shoed feet and a staff. AS the feet got further away, Frodo sneezed. Elanor and Amethyst both felt shocked as Frodo grinned apologetically.  
  
The feet stopped. There was a swish of cloak, then a staff reached into the hole. Amethyst and Elanor scream and Frodo tried to grab onto Elanor. Amethyst was caught on the end of the staff. She was rushed out and she heard, 'WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING…Oh, a hobbit.' The huge man took her off the end and held her up by her collar.  
  
Amethyst looked at the man and grinned at him. He was old, she could tell that much, and had a long beard. His eyes sparkled at her, but he looked a little annoyed.  
  
'What are you doing so far from the shire, child?' he asked.  
  
' Sir, sir, sir….' She said, unable to say anything intelligible.  
  
'Who are you? What are you doing?'  
  
He tensed his arm as if to shake her when she said, 'I'm Amethyst Baggins sir, I was jus' playing, I didn't mean to cause offence sir, please let me go sir!'  
  
The man lost his anger. He still held her, but said, 'Amethyst Baggins? What would you be playing so far away from the shire, especially near teatime?'  
  
'That I was a wizard an'…. you aren't going to hurt me sir?'  
  
'Not unless provoked.' He said, 'Do you know Mr Frodo Baggins child?'  
  
'I do sir. He's my father.' She said. The man dropped her. It hurt. A lot.  
  
'Frodo Baggins!' he said looking into the sky, 'I would never have thought it…. '  
  
'Sir?' said Amethyst from a place around ground level. The man looked down.  
  
'Oh, sorry.' He said, ' I am Gandalf the White. I am sure you have heard of me.'  
  
'I have sir! She said, 'Gandalf the White. My father talks fondly of you. I always wanted to meet you, but I heard that you would never be coming back to the shire….' The pain of falling she was quickly recovering from.  
  
'Never come back? Not even to see my favourite hobbits? ' He asked, laughing, 'I think maybe we should give your father a little surprise Amethyst.'  
  
Amethyst got up. She didn't know better than to talk to strangers, but she decided to trust that this man was in fact Gandalf the white. She got up and called into the hole, 'It's all right. He's a friend.'  
  
Frodo and Elanor crawled back out of the hole. They blinked at the man. They recognised him faster than Amethyst did.  
  
'Gandalf!' shouted Elanor. She ran up to him and hugged him.  
  
'Elanor, how nice to see you!' he said, 'And Frodo too!'  
  
'You've met them?' asked Amethyst.  
  
'Of course. Whenever I came up, I was always told that Frodo Baggins was visiting the Smials.'  
  
Amethyst suddenly realised something, but didn't voice it. Gandalf took Amethyst's small hand and placed it in his. She smiled, and realised that she would show him to the village from where she was.  
  
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Sam was in his garden when he saw Gandalf coming down to the village. He also saw three children with them. He recognised them instantly. He only knew of one child with reddish hair in the shire, and he knew his two eldest were mostly in her company.  
  
He dropped his trowel on his foot. He cursed inwardly, and then hopped into the house.  
  
'Rose?' he shouted, 'Rose, are you their?'  
  
'Yes Sam! I'm here. Now what alises you?' She came rushing out to him.  
  
'We've got another one for dinner. Can you tell the girl that tonight?' Sam had always been uncomfortable with the idea of servants, as he still though of himself as one, but since Rose had given birth to Elanor he had decided it was too much strain on her to be continually cooking and cleaning. It was even harder when Mr Frodo was "ill".  
  
It would be hard to tell little Amy that her father was ill again, especially with Mr Gandalf coming round. He decided to walk up the path and greet him. It had been a while since he had seen him, and he would, once again, have to make an excuse for his master's illness.  
  
  
  
'Ah, Mr Gamgee! It is nice to see you again!' shouted Gandalf when he saw him.  
  
'Mr Gandalf!' shouted Sam, 'It is nice to see you to!'  
  
'I found some little one's on the path to your home. Is Mr Baggins at home?'  
  
'Yes, but he is ill, and does not wish to see visitors.' Said Sam, as he walked closer up to him. Gandalf looked a little out out. Then he said, 'How is your lovely wife?'  
  
'Rose is fine.' He said conversationally.  
  
'And I'm sure your children would like to hear another story of mine.' Said Gandalf with a smile.  
  
'Yes Mr Gandalf.' Said Sam in a voice devoid of emotion, 'I'm sure they would.'  
  
'Yeah!' shouted Elanor, jumping, 'I wanna hear another story! Like the one when the elf goes into that cave, an' he cuts off that troll's….'  
  
'Yes, one a bit like that.' Said Gandalf a bit too quickly, 'But first I must see Frodo.'  
  
'I'm here!' piped up Frodo.  
  
'No, not you, although you are a lovely hobbit. I must see master Frodo.'  
  
'I'm afraid he is ill….' Started Sam.  
  
'I will see him, even if he puts a dragon outside his door! ' Said Gandalf, 'it is urgent that I see him.'  
  
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Oh, cliff-hanger. I might have just finished it, but as I said, It does have a point. It's just very clear yet. 


	3. Lies that hurt no one.

Amethyst.  
  
Yay! Chapter three, and as I promised, things get a little clearer as chapters go on, but as I don't think I mentioned, I still have no idea where this is taking me. But I know the end, but not much else.  
  
So read, review and enjoy!  
  
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Frodo lay on the bed, curled up in a ball. He was shivering, like he was in the cold, trying to not scream. If you saw his face you would see his big blue eyes wide open, almost as if he had no eyelids. His face was contorted with fear and he was crying.  
  
'No,' he whispered in a voice just audible,' No Sam, I didn't want it to end this way….' He fingered the white jewel on a chain around his neck. 'Nice masser!' he whispered, 'Nice masster, don't hurt poor smegel. Not with nassty cruel steel.'  
  
He heard knocking at the door.  
  
'Go away,' he whispered, 'please, go away, it's so heavy now Sam, I can't carry it…'  
  
'Frodo? Frodo Baggins?' came a familiar voice on the other side of the door, 'It is Gandalf. I must speak to you on a matter of urgency. '  
  
'Gandalf? My dear Gandalf died long ago,' said Frodo, to himself more than anyone,' I killed him, in Moria. I let him fall.'  
  
'Frodo? Frodo, are you in there?' Finally Gandalf opened the door. There was a small creak as the door opened, but it seemed to push Frodo even more. He rolled off the bed and hid on the other side. Another moment and had his fists raised, 'I'll kill you! All of you! '  
  
'Frodo! You are not yourself! Stop this tomfoolery or I will get angry, and that is a sight to be afraid of!'  
  
Frodo stopped, as if sanity was bobbing towards the surface of his mind.  
  
'Gandalf? Are you alive? I though you were dead! ' He crawled back onto the bed.  
  
'Frodo? What has happened to you?' said Gandalf with horror.  
  
'Just mordor Gandalf, just mordor.' He said with a horrible laugh, 'You sent me. I though it was for the best, but no. I though it was to be an adventure, you told me that. But it wasn't! No! The death of one for the many ah.'  
  
'Frodo, I never said that the journey you were to embark on was just an adventure….' But Frodo wasn't listening.  
  
'Why did you let me go Gandalf? You knew what was to happen. Why didn't you ask someone else to go? Huh, huh?' Frodo had a mad look in his eye,' I'm mad now. Poor Bilbo. That ring took him, but it has taken me further. All there is now is…. emptiness.' he broke down into tears, 'Emptiness and….him. In my head. He stayed there.'  
  
'Him, who is him?' asked Gandalf.  
  
'Sauron.' He never went away. He stayed.' Frodo looked him in the eye,' I have to fight him, at least once a year. He's breaking through. I know that. I couldn't tell any one. Gandalf, help me.' He broke down crying. Gandalf patted the hobbit on the shoulder gingerly as he broke down crying.  
  
'Frodo. I never though…. I'm sorry.' There was nothing for him to say.  
  
'No. ' said Frodo, 'He's gone. He's gone for a while, but not forever.' He looked up, the madness seemed to have left him. 'Thank Valor. It usually lasts longer. A week, a month, sometimes longer.'  
  
'Frodo, It's not anyone inside your head, but yourself. ' He put his arm around the hobbit,' It is your own darkness inside you. I can but give you a candle, you must be the one who look's at the light. '  
  
'Gandalf? I'm sorry I haven't seen you before now, I just never wanted to think about it, but I can't keep it out. It's eating away at me.'  
  
'But if that was all the trouble, how come you never told me of your marriage?' said Gandalf, 'And where is your wife?'  
  
'Wife?' said Frodo, 'I've never been married in my life. What are you talking about?'  
  
'Your daughter, Amethyst. She said that she was your daughter…'  
  
'She is, ' said Frodo, 'But I never knew her parents. She's adopted. I never told her. She never really needed to know.'  
  
'Frodo, the child has a right to know this sort of thing…'  
  
'I know, but I don't want to tell her unless she wants to know. '  
  
Gandalf seemed to understand. Then he said, 'There is something that worries me about her. Why are her eyes purple? I didn't say anything, but it worries me. It isn't a natural colour, even for those that are not hobbits.'  
  
'I have no idea. ' Said Frodo throwing his arms into the air,' I found her while she was still a baby, in a burned out hole, after Sharkey had been destroyed. She was all alone, and she had no parents, what was I to do? Give her to someone and forget about it? '  
  
'Some might ask why she never worried you, after all you've been through. She is unlike any hobbit I have ever met, but somehow she….fits in. As if no one has noticed her.'  
  
'She was all alone and had no one to help her. I was lucky, I had Sam to look after me, but she was just a child. I took her in as my own, and I somehow feel that she is. She has become precious to me. ' Frodo smiled, 'Is is indeed a very special child to me.'  
  
'So how come you never told me of her, or indeed, you haven't seen he since you came back to the Shire. I have not even met your daughter before today.'  
  
'Where was she? I have told her not to leave Hobbiton, but she refuses to listen to me!' said Frodo with parental concern.  
  
'That is of little concern, I must know why you have refused to let me see either of you!'  
  
'Why? I though that would have been obvious Gandalf. To protect her.'  
  
'Protect her? From what? The outside world, stories? You have no objection to the other children hearing the stories, or is there something that you know….'  
  
'Gandalf, I refuse to let you take her away from me! After you've used your tools, you drop them! She is going to become anyone's tool! She's mine, mine I tell you!' a wild look came into his eyes, but Gandalf grew angry.  
  
'I DROP MY TOOLS AFTER USE! How dare you! I admit that I didn't help after Sharkey returned, but I had more important things on my mind, knowing that you could deal with it. I never intended to use you for such a dangerous mission, but fates chose you, not me. '  
  
'She is mine! There is nothing you can do! I am not letting her go on any adventure! She WILL NOT BE HARMED!'  
  
Gandalf looked shocked. 'Frodo, why would I want to harm her? I've never even heard of her until today.'  
  
'I don't know. ' admitted Frodo, 'But every time I remember…what happened, I see her and think. I don't want that to happen to my little girl. Not, MY little girl.'  
  
'She isn't your little girl Frodo.'  
  
' I know! But she's almost the same, maybe more in fact. I can see why people didn't like their children listening to old Bilbo's stories now. It all make's sense when you're old enough to understand. I doubt if Amethyst sees me as a good father, Y'know, being "ill" al the time, but I try to make it easier on her all the rest of the time that I'm around.'  
  
'Frodo, I feel there is something you're not telling me.' Said Gandalf.  
  
'I don't know. ' Sighed Frodo, 'I think I'll have to come out of here for now. I'm better, and I've got Amethyst to see. I think she'll be glad of my company. '  
  
'Yes, I hope so.' Said Gandalf.  
  
__________________________  
  
Frodo came out of his room and into the drawing room, accompanied by Gandalf. He saw Amethyst playing a board game with Elanor, Frodo lad, Rose lass, Merry lad, Goldilocks and Pippin.  
  
It looked to him as if Goldilocks was winning closely followed by Amethyst, as usual. Amethyst usually won, even when adults played against her, in a way that no one could explain. It was as if she could get the dice to do what she wanted them to do. Frodo could tell she was letting Goldilocks win, as Goldilocks was winning by miles.  
  
She turned her head to the door, where he was standing. He smiled at her. She looked at him, smiled and got up, leaving the game. She threw her arms around him, holding him, refusing to let go. He put his arms around her, not letting go either.  
  
This always happened, a voice in Frodo's head said, every time you go mad, "ill", if you must, you two hug, and she says she's glad you're back….  
  
'I'm glad you're back Dada.' She said, into him.  
  
And you say…right on cue, said the voice,  
  
'I promise I'll never leave you my little darling.'  
  
But you do, said the voice. You always do. Just wait another month, you'll leave her again, and you know what? Every time you say that you won't leave her, she believes it. Even now she believes it.  
  
Shut up, he said to the voice, shut up. I never leave her. She's my precious. I will never leave her without anything.  
  
He felt her hair rubbing on his waistcoat. She was quiet a sullen creature, but that just made her smiles more beautiful, like the way the sun feels after a bitter cold wind. He could also feel tears choking up in her. She would never cry in front of people, save himself, as she found it humiliating. He could feel sobs of betrayal in her. Both of them knew that he would leave her, even if it were like this.  
  
She let go. 'Dada, I love you.' He looked into the violet eyes and realised how pretty she was.  
  
'I love you to, my little precious gemstone.' He ruffled her hair. She smiled bravely back at him. She went back to her game, and he sat and watched for a while.  
  
There were petty arguments, accusations of cheating on Goldilocks part from Merry and Pippin and laughter. All of them were as happy as children could be, playing a quiet game. He wasn't listening properly to the game, but after a while they got bored, as Merry and Goldilocks had won several times in a row.  
  
'I know, ' said Pippin, 'why don't you make up a story Amy?'  
  
'Yeah Amy!' said Goldilocks,' Do you know any good stories?'  
  
'Well…' she started.  
  
'Go on Amethyst!' said Frodo lad.  
  
'Go on!' said Elanor, 'I know you've got a great story for us!'  
  
'I haven't got one about anything interesting, ' she said, 'but I know one about mermaids.'  
  
'Mermaids?' said Pippin, unimpressed,' Bor-ring!'  
  
'No, not boring. As you see, there is a beautiful Merman who has been banish from his kingdom, because his evil stepfather has sent him away. He was forced to live all alone, in the deepest part of the sea, until…until he was a grown merman. ' She took a breath, 'He lived with sea pixies, and they tried to hide him from the kingdom he had taken away from him, as he had been sent away as a baby. …'  
  
'So, how did he find out?' interrupted Pippin. The others hushed him down, and Amethyst continued.  
  
'The sea pixies had never said anything about him being different, but soon he found out, as he was so much bigger than they were. By the time he was your age, Frodo, he was at least twice their size. He was also an adult.'  
  
Frodo started to listen properly to what she was saying.  
  
'So, when he asked the Sea pixies where he had come from, they told him that he came from the sea city, and he was the rightful ruler of it. They could not help him reclaim it, but the leader of the tribe gave him some advice before he left. The first thing he was told was to never go close to nets and boats, as they were dangerous and killed all sea life. The second thing he was told was to always be polite and nice to people, as you might be in need of them. The last piece of advice was….'  
  
'Dinners ready!' said Rose coming in. 'Come on children!'  
  
They all got up and ran to the dinning room, except Amethyst who put away the board game, and Frodo, who waited for her.  
  
When she turned around, there he was, waiting for her.  
  
'Dada?' she asked,' Why haven't I been allowed to see Gandalf before now?'  
  
'I'll tell you later, my precious stone,' he said, 'but first, you must have dinner. I want to see something go into that flat stomach of yours. '  
  
'I can't help being thinner than everyone else Dada, ' she said in her small voice,' I eat more than everyone else, but I still stay small.'  
  
Frodo laughed at her, and then hurried her to dinner.  
  
_________________________________  
  
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, so sweet! I think there should be a new section called cute!  
  
Okay, that's it, but I just want to say, thanks for reviewing me all those who did, and all those how read and don't review, yah boo sucks! 


	4. Stories and Dreams

Amethyst  
  
Yay! Chapter four, and I haven't got a flame yet! I promise you, think whole thing does have a point, and most questions set up in this chapter will get answered. Enjoy!  
  
__________________________  
  
'So, Samwise Gamgee, how have the affairs of the shire been since I last was here?' Gandalf said as the end of the meal approached with apple pie. He had somehow managed to sit next to Amethyst and Elanor, while the parents of these children sat opposite.  
  
'Oh, the shire's been growing back Mr Gandalf sir, but not much has happened,' said Sam conversationally,' Rose, as you can see, has given birth to little Daisy, and another one is on the way. '  
  
Rose was looking good for a hobbit-woman that had given birth to eight children, and having another one on the way. The secret to her beauty was not widely known, but some people suspected it had a lot to do with living with Sam and Frodo. When Frodo wasn't ill, he did his best around the hole, and shire mayor office, while Sam pitched in as best as he could.  
  
'You are a lucky hobbit Samwise,' said Gandalf,' I have to say, I have never seen a happier household.' Samwise beamed at the compliment, 'While you Mrs Gamgee are a perfectly amiable hobbit, and, I have to say, a good cook.'  
  
'Thank you Mr Gandalf sir,' she said blushing, ' I do my best.'  
  
'But I am afraid this visit has a more serious matter,' said Gandalf,' I came here to warn you, as Mayor and Deputy mayor of the Shire, of strange happenings in middle earth.'  
  
'Like what Mr Gandalf sir?' said Sam, leaning forward.  
  
'I have found that there have been odd movements around middle earth of Anians lately. Not such as my self, but those like Tom Bombadil, although not him himself. '  
  
'What is it Gandalf, should we be worried?' asked Frodo.  
  
' Yes. The people who are moving to unusual places are the elemental nymphs. They are people who are not only older and wiser that my kind, but are in fact Valor's first people. They are, you could say, the first versions of elves. They hold many elf-like qualities, but are more like wood spirits and so on. They are not in themselves dangerous, but they have been become violent and restless of late. '  
  
'Why Gandalf?' asked Frodo,' I didn't even think that they existed any more..'  
  
'They do, Frodo, but they are few in number. They are immortal, but Sauron destroyed many of them, and their methods of child bearing are long. I have talked to a few, and many have claimed that they are looking for one of their children. They say the children have unimaginable power, and if she falls into the wrong hands, she will be able to destroy middle-earth itself! '  
  
'A child of unimaginable power? Is she important?' asked Sam.  
  
'Of course Samwise! I believe that Sauron was in fact one at some point in his life. These children they say they are looking for have the power over life and death and can control the elements at their will. I have fear that the Shire is at risk of such types in their anger. '  
  
'What can we do Gandalf? ' Asked Frodo, 'As it is, us hobbit have little power, or weapons.'  
  
' I have just come with news I am afraid, 'said Gandalf with a sigh, ' I have no knowledge of how to defeat them, but I have some good news! They rarely travel in groups of more than five, but mostly they travel or live in the company of those from different races.'  
  
'But shall we leave such discussion for the morning?' said Frodo,' I feel the planning of tactics is better done before eight o'clock at night.'  
  
'I agree Frodo, but first, I should think that the children would like to hear a story.' Said Gandalf, winking at Amethyst.  
  
'I would love to hear one mama!' said Elanor.  
  
There was a chorus of agreement from the children. Finally Rose diffused it with a 'All right, all right, but only a short one. You must go to bed in half an hour!'  
  
There was a chorus of cheers from all the children, including Amethyst. Gandalf sat in a chair next to the fire, and lit his pipe. As Amethyst went to join the other hobbit-children, Frodo took her by the wrist. The missing finger was quite noticeable to her now. It wasn't scary, but she always felt that his hand wasn't balanced as it should be.  
  
'Dada?'  
  
'Come on Amethyst!' he said in his best reasonable voice,' Time for you to go to bed.'  
  
'But Dada, everyone else is allowed to stay up.' she whined.  
  
'But Amy, you are not everyone else. It is time for you to go to bed.' He said, trying not to let his disapproval of Gandalf's stories come through.  
  
'Frodo, 'said Gandalf a little forcefully, 'I think if the child wants to hear a story, maybe you should let her.'  
  
'Mr Frodo, 'said Samwise, 'I'm sure one story wouldn't do any harm..'  
  
Frodo gave in. He sighed and let her go, as she joined the other children around Gandalf's feet.  
  
Maybe it was the fact that it was coming close to the end of the day, or the subject of conversation, or maybe because of Mr Frodo's insistence of not letting Amethyst listen, though Sam, that she seemed very different from the other children. Somehow, in a group, her dark red hair stood out more amongst the blondes and browns, and the bright violet eyes that sparkled like stars seemed very different to the brown and green eyes of his own brood of children.  
  
Sam sighed. It was probably just him, and maybe he had drunk a little to much ale. He sat down, as a distance with Frodo and Rosy, and listened to his own story. Frodo seemed dreadfully worried about this, as if telling the story would somehow make things worse. Sam sat, listening to his own life being told in front of him.  
  
______________________  
  
'Amethyst, Elanor, are you ready for bed?' asked Frodo as he waited by their bedroom door.  
  
'Yes Mr Frodo! 'Answered Elanor as she came down the corridor. Amethyst followed her closely. They both stood there, waiting for him to do something. Then he picked up each of the, one in each arm, (Amethyst noticed that he picked her up in his right Arm.) and took them to bed. He put both of them into their own bed and tucked them in carefully.  
  
He kissed each of them on the cheek as he put them to bed.  
  
'Goodnight, little flower.' He said to Elanor.  
  
'G'night MR Frodo.' She said with a little giggle.  
  
'Goodnight Gemstone.' He said to Amethyst, tucking her in carefully again, as she had managed to wriggle out of it.  
  
'G'night Dada.' She said.  
  
He got up and turned off the light. Frodo closed the door, leaving it a crack open, so the light could shine through. Frodo crept down the hall, leaving the two girls to go to sleep. He hadn't reckoned on Rose being halfway down the hall.  
  
'Mr Frodo, are our two eldest in bed yet?..' she asked.  
  
'Yes, and I've had a hard enough time trying to get our two eldest to sleep. I think I'll go to my study for a while, maybe do some writing..' He let out a yawn, 'Or maybe not.'  
  
' G' night MR Frodo.'  
  
' Goodnight Rose.' Rose went back to the kitchen with Sam, while Frodo went straight to bed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Not long after this, Elanor and Amethyst had fallen asleep. As Amethyst rolled over, she began to dream.  
  
Amethyst was running. She was running fast through a forest, and she heard a horn blow in the background. She was being hunted. She kept running, jumping over a tree root. She looked behind, and caught a glimpse of her hunters. They were people, big people, and they had no weapons, but she ran.  
  
She saw in front of her a light, a beautiful light. She ran towards it, in hope that it would save her. When she was in the light, she was in the shire, and there were hobbits all around her, preparing for a party. She suddenly realised that it was hers and Her Dada's. She smiled and ran up to Elanor, who was sitting by a table, playing with a doll.  
  
'Elle, there's people chasing me!'  
  
Elanor looked up. 'Of course Amy. You're not dressed yet. '  
  
Amethyst looked down. She now was wearing her party dress. It was plum purple, with lace edging and a lace collar. She also wore her special necklace, the one with the stone on it. She looked at Elanor. She was dressed differently now, as she was in her party dress also.  
  
Amethyst heard the noise of horns blowing, and the sound of a hunt. 'Dada?' she shouted.  
  
She turned around. Everyone had disappeared, as if the birthday party had been and gone. She turned around again, and saw the hunting party.  
  
They were big people, sort of. They looked solid, but yet, in the same way unreal. If it was possible, larger than life.  
  
A boy of seventeen, somehow she knew his age, with the brightest yellow eyes was standing there. His eyes where not yellow in a way she had seen before. She had only ever seen the leaves in autumn, as yellow as his eyes, yet, they seemed dull and impure compared to his. He was human as best as she could see, but many others of the party where not, yet not human, or whatever race they first appeared to be.  
  
His hair was black. Not black as the almost browns she knew, but black as the darkness of night, dark as the sins of fallen angels, black as fear, black as hate, anger and all dark thoughts from the pit of the soul. His skin though was like hers though. She had never seen anyone, outside a mirror, with skin almost as white as snow. He had a few freckles on his face, as if just to combat the whiteness.  
  
He held out his thin, white hand, and said, 'Come home. Please come home Amethyst.'  
  
'No, no, no. I Am home.' She said.  
  
'Ask one question Amethyst, where's your Mama?' He drew a knife and threw it into air.  
  
All there was, was a rocking chair, and a strong wind. She walked over to the chair, the sound her feet were making was like someone walking on stones. Finally she walked up to the chair.  
  
'Dada?'  
  
She turned the chair around. What she saw next chilled and horrified her. It was Frodo, with a stab wound in the chest, sitting in the chair. His big blue eyes were wide open, his face contorted with shock.  
  
He fell forward, but before he did, he said, 'Where's you mama?'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Amethyst screamed. She screamed so loud it must have woken up the hole, but at this moment she was not in a mind to care or notice. She screamed for a fully five seconds, not thinking. Then, she burst out into loud, uncontrollable sobs. She had never felt so scared in her own home before. She drew the bedcovers around her and wept into them.  
  
Elanor had been woken by her outburst, and now sat in her bed watching. She heard the sound of feet and doors, and then her own Dad came in.  
  
'What is it, what happened?' he turned on the light. Elanor looked at him, and finally Sam's eyes travelled over to Amethyst. She was crying quietly not, but she couldn't stop. Mr Frodo chose this moment to walk in.  
  
'What happened? Is everyone all right?' he asked. Then his eyes looked at Elanor, and then travelled over to Amethyst, sobbing quietly. He instantly went to hug her, and sat down on the bed next to her.  
  
Amethyst felt an arm around her. She looked up into the face of her Dada. She burst into a fresh tirade of sobs.  
  
'What is it Amy, what is it?' he cooed at her.  
  
'Dada, ' she choked out through the sobs, 'I had a bad dream. I want my Mamma.'  
  
'Amy.' Frodo had no idea what to say, but he tried anyway, 'You don't have a mamma. '  
  
Amethyst cried. Frodo was still unable to do anything, but he picked her up and put her in his lap. Her sobs started to become less frequent, as he stroked her hair and whispered to her.  
  
Amethyst felt so much warmer, so much happier now, but she still shock. Now she had stopped crying, Frodo whispered to her, 'Now what was wrong? It's not like you to scream, even if you have a bad dream.'  
  
'It was really, really bad.' She said, 'I was being chased, an' we were at a party, and someone killed you.'  
  
'Oh, poor darling, you're safe now, don't worry...'  
  
'But Dada.'  
  
'Shhh, ' she cooed, 'Don't give it another though. Just go to sleep again. '  
  
He tucked her in again and kissed her. 'Now don't worry Gemstone, just go back to sleep. '  
  
Frodo saw Sam was putting his own flower to bed, as he waited for him. Sam walked out, but as Frodo tried to leave, Amethyst said, 'Dada, will you stay with me. I'm scared.'  
  
' I'm afraid not Gemstone, I need to get to bed. It's midnight. '  
  
'Da-ad! Please?'  
  
'No Amy, we all need some sleep, especially you.' He closed the door on both of them.  
  
When everything was quiet again, Amethyst wriggled out of bed, and walked up to Elanor's bed.  
  
'Elle, can I share with you?' she asked.  
  
'Yes Amy.' She said, turning over. Amethyst climbed into bed, and the both hugged.  
  
' I'm not really scared,' she said defiantly,' I thought you might be.'  
  
'Yes Amy.' Said Elanor smiling, 'I was as scared as you were when you woke up.'  
  
Amethyst smiled as she kissed Elanor on the cheek. They both understood.  
  
____________________________  
  
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Isn't that cute! Well, R and R, if you like, and R and R if you don't. I really don't mind, (But I prefer adulation's to flames.) 


	5. It shattered like Glass

Amethyst-chapter 5  
  
It shattered like glass.  
  
Hey-hey! Chapter 5 is up, and I'm starting to like Fanfic again. Grrr.nasty breakdowns! Well, in this chapter, the lie shatters like glass. I could get meaningful, but I would ruin the story. Well, I hope you like this instalment. Oh yeah, just a note.  
  
Disclaimer- Apart from Ash, Myotisis, Amethyst and my version of nymphs, all this belongs to Tolkien and his susiditory areas. Oh yeah, and Warner bro.'s. And Peter Jackson. They are the lords!!!! Back to the point - so I just am mucking up his world and his characters, but I promise to clean up. Honest! I promise Frodo will get a bath by the end of this, and anyone else used. ______________________  
  
A month pasted without much event. Gandalf left the shire after three day's and although Amethyst was sad to see him leave, she didn't give much though to it. Summer began to disappear, and soon the trees started to turn from lush, eye soothing green to wide reds, oranges and browns.  
  
Leaves began to pile up on the ground, and hobbit children joined the tradition of creating piles of leaves and jumping into them. In face, this was what Amethyst, Elanor and Frodo were doing now. They had succeeded in building a huge pile, and were about to jump into it when they found some one else in it.  
  
'Hey!' shouted Amethyst, 'Get outta our leave pile!'  
  
A head popped up out of it, and several giggles were heard. 'Make me!' said the head. Amethyst recognised the head. It was the head of Ludo 'pimple' Bracegirdle.  
  
'I will Ludo!' she said, and took a running jump. She jumped into the pile, making leaves go everywhere. Frodo and Elanor joined her in the pile, and They dragged out Ludo's friends, while Amethyst- Amethyst was pulling him out by his arm.  
  
As soon as she let go, Ludo jumped back in. So did Amethyst. As Amethyst tried to push him out, he kicked out, hitting her in the mouth. She screamed out in pain. Elanor, who had been cheering Amethyst on, stopped. Ludo stopped moving. His mother had always told him never to fight girls, and now he knew that if she told anyone, he would be in big trouble. But he also knew that Amethyst would never run crying to an adult.  
  
She felt her mouth, a little trickle of blood ran down her fingers. Then her face changed from play-fight, to anger. She let out an ear-piercing screech, and punched him in the mouth.  
  
It was but seconds before they started a full-scale punch up.  
  
Elanor suddenly fell tightness around her neck. It was one of Ludo's friends. She kicked back at him, and he fell over, onto the floor. He grabbed her foot, pulling her back onto the floor after him.  
  
Frodo couldn't help either of them, as he himself had an enemy to fight. He spun on him and threw a punch. The hobbit-boy looked at him, a little confused, and then got angry. Frodo managed to dodge the clumsy blow, but as he kicked him in the legs, the hobbit-lad wrestled him to the ground.  
  
Amethyst and Ludo were resorting to biting and scratching. Ludo bit Amethyst on the arm, as she scratched at his chest, her fingernails drawing blood. Ludo cried out in pain, and Amethyst shouted at him,' Give up Ludo, I've won!'  
  
'How could you, you're just a girl! A stupid one as well.'  
  
'At least I'm not a pimple, pimple!'  
  
'Yeah, ' a nasty smile came over his face, 'At least I've got parents!'  
  
Amethyst went weak for a second. Big mistake, as Ludo grabbed her and swung her to the ground. In response she shouted into his ear, 'I HAVE PARENTS! I HAVE A BETTER DAD THAN YOURS!'  
  
'Yeah, but AT LEAST HE'S MY REAL DAD!' he shouted back. He punched her in the eye. Amethyst was far to shocked to notice the pain. Was it true? She had to admit she didn't look like her Dada, and refused to talk about her mother. Maybe it was true, but as she though this, the pain began to seep through into her brain.  
  
'You nasty ORC! Take THIS!' she kicked him in the trousers. He bent double in pain and fell to the ground. She got up, bleeding, grazed and shaking, and grabbed the boy attacking Elanor, (Who already was beaten up) 'GO! Go, and never trouble us again!' The hobbit-lad whimpered and ran off. The other one, helping Ludo up, ran away with their leader.  
  
It was time for Amethyst to survey the troops. Elanor had come off pretty lightly, having one of the weaker boys to fight. She had a few bruises up and down her arm, and a red mark on her neck, but apart from that was not particularly injured.  
  
Frodo was in a bad state. His lip was cut, and bleeding, a nasty bruise was appearing on his arms, and legs, and his arm had been cut. He had many grazes over the whole of his little body. He was nearly in tears, but he kept them in bravely.  
  
Although he was hurt, when he saw Amethyst, it made his gasp. Her pale skin was paler, the bright lilac eyes were wide open, her bleeding mouth open slightly. She had a black eye emerging, with cuts and bruises all over her arms and legs. There was a little blood under her fingernails from Ludo Bracegirdle.  
  
She went over to Frodo, and brushed some of his curly brown hair out of his face. As her hand went over his face, the grazes, cuts and bruises disappeared, and she kissed his forehead. 'Frodo, are you all right?'  
  
Frodo gazed at her. Somehow, all his problems disappeared, and he smiled zombieshly. He had never though of her like he was now thinking of her. She touched his arms, and the cuts healed themselves, and the bruises became less sever. She helped him up.  
  
She went over to Elanor and touched a few of her bruises. Elanor screwed up her face in pain first of all, but then she didn't feel any pain, as her bruises had disappeared.  
  
'I think we need to visit the river before we go home today.'she said sheepishly as the two other hobbit children stared with wonder at what she had done.  
  
'Amethyst, you heeled us.' said Elanor, 'You just touched us and..'  
  
'Can't everyone else? Mrs Rose has a heeling touch.' They both looked at her. 'Maybe we should go for that swim now..'  
  
As soon as the children found the river, and had started to play in the water, they forgot about what they had seen Amethyst do. Almost as if the water had a power of it's own. ____________________________  
  
So while the three hobbit-children went for a quick wash before they went home, certain other hobbit children had gone home, and told their parents of Amethyst. And while certain hobbit fathers laughed at their son's for being beaten up by girls, certain hobbit-mothers took concern and told their son's to stay away from * Those children *.  
  
This did not go any further, partly because of the knowledge that Ludo and Those Children were in a competition that would never end, partly because of their respect for the mayor and deputy mayor, and partly because they knew that their son's had been beaten by a couple of hobbit-lasses and their brother. Well, at least a lass, and a sister and brother.  
  
Everyone knew she was adopted. Well, everyone except Amethyst. So, when they reached home around three o'clock, Amethyst decided to speak.  
  
'What did he mean, "Real dad"? I have a real dad. '  
  
'Err..' Went Elanor.  
  
'Ah.' Went Frodo. Elanor and Frodo looked at each other. Then Frodo said with unusual tact 'I have no idea. '  
  
'Okay. I'll ask when we get home.' Elanor and Frodo exchanged glances again. Neither of them wanted to say what they knew.  
  
______________________________  
  
Amethyst forgot for a while, but the question kept on at her, like an itch in the middle of her back. She tried to forget about it, not think about it, but she couldn't stop. She tried to take her mind off it by reading a book, but even when she sat next to the fire, she couldn't think about anything else.  
  
Finally like a bomb that could blow apart her world, Amethyst placed it on her father.  
  
She placed it a bit before dinner, as She sat next to him, by the fire. She had curled herself up with a book, and Frodo sat next to her, with her resting on his side. Finally she closed her book, and said, 'Dada, when I was out today, some one said that you weren't my real dad. Is it true?'  
  
Frodo suddenly became very quiet. He knew this question would come one day, but he had no idea of what to say.  
  
'I'll tell you later, after dinner. ' Amethyst seemed to understand.  
  
So all through dinner, she kept quiet as everyone else talked, even through Frodo himself was excited by the prospect of, "their " Birthday in a weeks time. As long as Amethyst could remember, she had celebrated their birthdays on the same day. Before she had just though it coincidence, but for the first time in her life, she though that it might be that she didn't have a birthday of her own.  
  
Birthdays were always happy times, but somehow tinged with and ineffable sadness. As if just the idea of getting old was bad. But she knew it wasn't that. Frodo was organising a pretty big party by the sounds of it, with a special feast and games, and presents.  
  
Amethyst like presents the best, because Frodo would give her one and there would be presents for the Gamgee's. She preferred it went it was other people's birthdays. Or at least she did now. So, during the whole meal she did little more than listen and hope that nothing was wrong.  
  
So after the meal had finished, Frodo hoped that Amethyst had forgotten about her question. She hadn't. Rose had shooed off the other children to play, but Amethyst refused to leave Frodo. He tried to smile it off, but it didn't work. When everyone except Frodo and Sam had left, posed her question again.  
  
'Dada, you said you'd tell me after Dinner. Are you my real dad?'  
  
Frodo, who had almost forgotten about the question, stopped dead in his tracks. Him and Sam exchanged glances. Sam nodded, and then Frodo took her onto his lap. Sam sat on a chair next to them, and waited.  
  
'Amethyst, have you noticed that you're a little different to other children?'  
  
'Yes Dada. ' She said, 'But that doesn't mean anything..'  
  
'Amy, I don't know how to say this.I still love you, but.what I'm trying to say.. is.No.. I'm not your..real father.'  
  
'Oh.' She took it a little to well, thought Sam, no child should be so flippant over a matter like that. 'So, who are my real parents?' she asked.  
  
Frodo sighed. 'I don't know Amethyst. We found you when you were a baby, in a burned out hole. Just you and ash. It was miraculous that you could even survive a fire like that. We don't know what became of your parents. We just.found you.'  
  
Amethyst's big violet eyes grew big. She wanted to know, but she had no idea what to say, or do, or react. All of her lost, emotion and fear all came out in a pathetic, 'Oh.'  
  
'I still love you Amy. ' Started Frodo.  
  
'So I'm not really your child.' She said weakly, as if her normal energy had been sucked out of her. Suddenly everything made sense.  
  
'No. But you're still my special little girl.'  
  
Amethyst felt like he was lying. ' So, If I'm not Amethyst Baggins, who am I?'  
  
Frodo looked down at the floor. 'I don't know.'  
  
Amethyst slid off his knee. 'I think I just want to go and read something.' She walked to the door, opened and closed it carefully and all they could here was the laughter of Sam's children, and her padding down the corridor.  
  
After a little while in the painful, nothingness of silence, Sam lent over to Frodo and said,' It was for the best. '  
  
'I hope so Sam' said Frodo, 'I really do.' _______________________________  
  
So that was her life, thought Amethyst as she reached her room. She felt.she didn't fell anything. If what she was feeling could be described, it would be numb emotionally, but her body felt extra sensitive to make up for it. She closed the door quietly, and found the key to the room on their chest of draws, and locked it with a -click.  
  
She then sat gently on her bed, staring out at the window and trying not to think. There was the sound of laughter, she could hear her Father's laugher, even now she though of him as he father, while she felt.empty. It was almost as if the word's had no meaning. She had wondered whether she was expected to cry, or laugh, or have a tantrum, but all she felt was cold, empty and hot around the ears.  
  
She didn't want to cry; She could see no point. She felt like someone had taken a building brick out of the toy tower of her life, and now watched it tumble slowly to the ground. Something was happening inside though. She felt as if in the emptiness, her stomach had recoiled, as to remove the emptiness, but mostly she felt like screaming. Not about anything at all, but just scream, as if to let out all of her childish thoughts, her stupidity of asking that question, and even more, to let out the truth she had just learned.  
  
She picked up a looking glass on the chest of draws. She looked into it, just to take her mind off things.  
  
She was ugly. So ugly. She had ugly dark red hair, which fell down in ugly ringlets, from the flat hair on top. It wasn't nice hair, like Elanor's, which was beautifully gold, and hung down curling. She had a thin, sullen face, ugly, with pale, ugly, small lips, and a few freckles dotted about her face like splatters of paint. Not a beautiful face, like.anyone's she knew. Then she looked at the ugly, amethyst purple eyes. Those ugly eyes. She hated them more than she could express. The first thing that people noticed about her, the ugly eyes.  
  
She threw the looking glass onto Elanor's bed, trying to get it as far away as possible from her. What was she, but a thin (almost wasted by hobbit standards) hobbit lass with strange, ugly dark red hair and horribly disturbing, violently purple eyes. She had no parents, except Mr Frodo Baggins, and he wasn't her real father.  
  
People shuddered to look at her. No adult thought she noticed, but when she went out with all the other children, she would receive strange looks and mutters about her, because of the hair and eyes. Not even the people she considered to have been relatives could give her a straight look, Definitely Uncle Pippin. He did try his best, but even though they got on better than she did with other people, he always winced to look her in the eyes.  
  
Now she knew why. She wasn't there own child, they just loved her out of respect for her Father. That though was bad enough. Only a few people could look at her without wincing, and that was her own father, or whatever was his title now, Sam and Rose Gamgee and their children. They had been brought up with her, and had almost come to love her.  
  
Actually, said a cheerful voice in her head, it does explain a lot. Shut up, she though back. You could have it a lot worse, said the voice, there are many stories of children who had lost there parents had had been forced into slavery.. Yes, she though back, and married the prince. They were beautiful people in stories, not ugly children, who people didn't like to look at.  
  
She lay back on her bed, and soon fell asleep for reasons she didn't know. ______________________________  
  
Well, another chapter finished. I would like to thank Krystal baggins, Nix, VampAmber and Clexian Kismet Right, gotta go, and write another chapter! 


	6. Another nightmare (as well as a little s...

Another nightmare.  
  
Amethyst, chapter 6! Well, What Can I say? I can't wait for your reaction to it! I hope you like this, but as I said earlier, I promise that all of this has a point!  
  
________________________  
  
She slept a dreamless sleep thankfully, until a few hour later. She groggily looked over her arms that she had been resting her head on, and looked at the door. It was locked, as she had left it. She remembered, never to lock the door without permission. It was one of the rules of the hole.  
  
She rolled off the bed, and caught her feet on the floor, propelling her to a standing position. She found the key and unlocked the door. Then she went back to bed. She didn't feel well. Now she had a stone in her throat, as if she wanted to cry, but she didn't want to cry. She wanted to do something else, but she didn't know what, and even if she did, she would not have words to express it.  
  
She looked at the clock on the wall. It was eight o'clock. She had slept for nearly half an hour! She didn't want to see anyone, especially her adoptive father. She decided to get washed and ready for bed now, instead of waiting for him to chase her up on it.  
  
She got up again and found her night-gown and took it with her to the bathroom. There she washed and got dressed for bed, and then ran back to bed. It was eight twenty now, when everyone got ready to go to bed. She snuggled under the blankets, and waited to drop off to sleep.  
  
It wasn't long before Elanor came in with Frodo. When he noticed that Amethyst was already in bed, he tucked Elanor in, and went over to her.  
  
'Hey Gemstone, are you all right? You're ready for bed and haven't made a fuss, you must be ill!' he gave a little laugh, but Amethyst was having none of it. She didn't say anything.  
  
'Amethyst? Are you asleep?'  
  
'Yes.' She said grumpily. He laughed at her answer, and pulled the covers off her. Amethyst blinked in the light of the lamp he had put on. He then pulled her out of bed and signalled at Elanor to come to him. She walked over and sat next to him.  
  
He put him arm around her, and then put an arm around Amethyst. She threw it off, as it was his right arm, with the finger missing. Frodo cuddled Elanor closer, and tried to hug Amethyst again. She didn't resist, but she was cold and stiff. She refused to look him in the face.  
  
'Amy, don't I get a hug tonight?' he asked.  
  
'No.' she said, 'You're not my real dad.'  
  
' I'm not Elanor's Dad, but she's giving me a hug.'  
  
Amethyst gave him a look of contempt. Couldn't he understand? This was a lifetime betrayal of her trust, but.to be honest, hadn't she known all along? He had known that she wasn't the same, and she had been the one to ask. She didn't want this right now, she wanted some one to turn up and tell her that they were her real parents.  
  
But she could have been worse off. Mr Frodo Baggins was as kind and indulgent father as a girl could wish for, and he did love her. Finally, she gingerly shuffled towards him, and hugged him.  
  
He smiled, 'That's better, isn't it Gemstone. Now, I'll put you to bed, and we can talk about it in the morning.'  
  
She nodded, and soon, before she could think she was plunged into the darkness of night, and asleep.  
  
_________________________  
  
Amethyst opened her eyes. She was standing at the party, being ignored by everyone. She didn't know why, but every time he tried to get close to anyone, they moved away, as if there was an invisible barrier between them and her.  
  
She looked down. She was wearing the dark purple dress again, a party dress, but she had no recollection of owning a dress like this. She watched as the guests chatted and talk, and then.. Suddenly, she was somewhere else, being chased by a hunting party.  
  
She heard one of them blow a horn. She ran, through the forest, tearing her dress on a piece of wood. There was a log on the path, and she jumped over it, running desperately from the thing she was running away from. The worse thing was though, she didn't know what she was running away from.  
  
She turned her head, and caught a glimpse of her hunters. It was a group of almost humans, but something wasn't quiet right. There were definitely some elves amongst them, but they weren't elves. She didn't know how to explain it, but that was how it was.  
  
She wasn't looking, and tripped to the mossy ground. She looked up again. She was at the party again, but it was overcast, and everyone had left. The hunting party stood behind her again. They wore.odd clothes. Not like that of elves, dwarfs or men, but that of there own, with a few undercurrents of that style.  
  
The seventeen-year-old with Buttercup yellow eyes held out his long, White, thin, yet beautiful hands. 'Amethyst, come home Amethyst.'  
  
'NO, no, I am home!' she exclaimed, feeling suddenly odd in her dress.  
  
'Are you Amethyst?' he asked.  
  
She turned away from him. She ran, and kept on running, trying to get away. Finally, she found an old hole to hide in. Then she realised that she wasn't hiding, but she was waiting for someone to find her. Suddenly, she realised that the place she was in was burning, burning, all around her turning black.  
  
________________________  
  
Amethyst woke up. She sat up as straight as a plank in her bed, sweating heavily. She took long shallow breaths and tried to swallow some of her spit. Her heart was pulsating like a bird's wing beating as it tries to get off the ground. She took a loud breath of air and coughed.  
  
She looked into the darkness, and then tried to swallow again. Her night sight was returning to her, and she looked around the room. Elanor's and his toys where all on shelves on either aside of the room, Amethyst's books and then her eye's fell on Elanor, asleep in the other bed.  
  
Amethyst didn't want to wake her up, no matter how scared she felt. She wiped her forehead, sticky with sweat. Amethyst wiped her hand on the bed cover, and sighed for no reason. Her heart was beating less hard now, as she calmed down.  
  
Amethyst, for some reason, felt compelled to look out of the window. She later wished her hadn't. She first of all couldn't see properly what was outside, at her window, but she saw a elf. Not an elf, she later knew, but an elf, with bright, turquoise eyes. She had never seen anyone alive with Turquoise eyes. He stood at the window, his long fair hair flowing over his shoulders.  
  
She yelped quietly, and as if he knew that she was looking at him, he disappeared, in front of her eyes.  
  
She grabbed the bed covers, and lay back. She put the covers over her head, and didn't look over them until daybreak.  
  
__________________________  
  
When Amethyst woke up, she heard birds singing. She rolled over, as the birds were singing too cheerily for her liking. She opened her eyes. The light was almost blinding for a second, but then returned to normal. She saw Elanor asleep, the bed covers moving up and down with her breathing. Amethyst pulled the covers off her, and ran to the window.  
  
She looked on the glass for any signs of anyone being there, and then she looked at the bushes by the window. They had no sigh on anyone having stood in them. She knew the elf had been standing in the bushed though. And how had he disappeared?  
  
And his eyes, the bright blue-green eyes, unlike anything she had seen before, and could no way describe. She opened the window. She found nothing. She found nothing for another ten seconds, until her eyes fell upon a flower. Amethyst wouldn't have given it a second look if it hadn't been for the colour.  
  
The flower wasn't that big, but it was as blue like the elf's eyes. She picked it, leaving a few petals, and looked at it more carefully. It was blue, almost turquoise. It had red veins running through it, and made her want to clutch it close to her breast, but she didn't.  
  
She put it on her shelf, and looked at it. She heard Elanor waking up in the background, but she ignored her. The flower was worrying her, but she had no idea why.  
  
Elanor sat up and said, 'Amy, what are you doing up? Its too early!'  
  
'It's eight in the morning,' said Amethyst with a laugh, 'and I was woken by the birds.'  
  
'Sure Amy.' Said Elanor rolling her eyes.  
  
'We'll have to up in a couple of minutes anyway Elle.' Said Amethyst.  
  
Elanor rolled beck into bed, while Amethyst couldn't get beck into bed. She was feeling wide-awake for some reason. She went to her wardrobe and pulled out a dress to wear for the day. Today she decided to wear blue..  
  
_________________________________  
  
In Prince Legolas's court there were many elf's, but none of them were the one's he wanted to talk to. Although Legolas was still in close contact with Gimli, Gloin's son and lived in mirkwood, near his mountain, he was not in the mood for talking to a dwarf. He wanted to talk to Myotisis.  
  
Myotisis was an elf who on his return, Legolas had found as a new member of his courtiers. Legolas hadn't given it another though, but later, when he had talked to him, he found him to be the best company, almost as chatty and cheerful as a hobbit, as noble as an elf, yet as worldly as many a human and dwarf.  
  
Myotisis had unofficially become Legolas's companion, although he was no elf of high standing. The strangest thing about Myotisis was his eyes though. The eyes that were almost turquoise blue, no, they were turquoise blue!  
  
Legolas went to Myotisis's room, and knocked on the door. He did not answer, so Legolas waited. Legolas waited, and heard whispers inside. Legolas listened in.  
  
'Yes, I was there Ash, I made sure..' Said Myotisis  
  
' Something when wrong, ' said a male voice he didn't recognise,' I can tell Myotisis, I can feel it.'  
  
Myotisis sighed. 'You are right Ash. The girl woke up. I think she saw me.'  
  
'Fool! You scared her! I know you did!'  
  
'I didn't mean to Ash, She woke up from the dream you told me to send, and she saw me at the window. '  
  
'You imbecile! ' Said the male voice, 'I cannot travel like you can, and I am losing my strength. I must find her soon, or my heart will break, as well as us.'  
  
'I know Ash. I know the feeling you harbour for the girl.'  
  
Legolas couldn't stand it any more. He knocked rapidly on the door and shouted, 'Myotisis? Are you awake? '  
  
There was the sound of a bird flying away, and Myotisis came to the door. 'Yes Prince Legolas?' he asked in his cheerful voice.  
  
'Whom were you talking to Myotisis? ' He asked.  
  
'Oh, Prince Legolas!' he laughed, 'Talk? I was merely taking to the birds outside my window! They fluttered so, and told me news from afar.'  
  
'They talked back to you? ' Said Legolas, unconvinced.  
  
'Not quiet. I was talking to myself, but the birds were the audience.' Myotisis explained.  
  
Legolas sighed. He could tell that he couldn't get an answer out of Myotisis.  
  
Myotisis smiled at him, and said,' My Lord, I have a song for you, that you may take an interest in. The birds taught me it.'  
  
Legolas sighed and said, ' Myotisis, please, I will listen to it later, but do you wish to go hunting for a while?'  
  
'Yes my Lord. I wish to hunt, and maybe I could ask you a few questions on the way..'  
  
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Thanks for reading. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 


	7. Blood conections- PG 13 (just in case)

Chapter Seven: Blood connections  
  
Contrary to the title, I don't think there's much blood shed in this chapter, but we do find out a little more about Amethyst and what she is. We also find out the voice in the other chapter (I don't think I make it clear in this chapter) When you read, I hope you know what I mean.  
  
_______________________________  
  
When Frodo and Elanor were ready and fed, Amethyst grabbed some bread and cheese from the kitchen and got ready to leave for yet another adventure, when the servant girl found her.  
  
'Amethyst, your father has asked to see you before you leave. In the study I believe.' She said nervously.  
  
Amethyst thanked her politely, but didn't make a comment as she walked to the study. The study! That was a place she didn't like to visit. It wasn't scary, or anything like that, it was plane as places went, but it was one of the few rooms she wasn't allowed to visit without permission, and mostly when she had to visit them, it was because she was in trouble. The place was quiet dark, and the mahogany panels on the skirting, and the black wood shelves didn't help.  
  
There were many books, a lot of them hand-written, and leather chairs that ere padded to the point that you couldn't sit on them comfortably. She didn't like going to this side of the hole. It was dark and lonely. It was the part of the hole, where the men worked.  
  
Amethyst had no idea what they did all day, and even Frodo and Samwise would have to think before describing there work, but they all knew there work was important, and they were not to be disturbed until mealtimes. It was too early for second breakfast, and too late for first breakfast, so Amethyst reckoned that she was most definitely in trouble for something.  
  
Amethyst felt a lot smaller and lonely than usual, as she walked along a corridor to the study. There was no noise, except the creak of floorboards and when she listened hard enough, the noise of paper turning, low chattering and the occasion shared joke as she got closer to the study.  
  
Finally she reached the door of the study. Light shone through the frosted glass, covering her face with strange patterns. She reached out her hand, and pulled on the doorknob. Then she remembered that she should knock. She let go of the doorknob and knocked quietly. She hoped that there would be no answer.  
  
She waited a full three seconds. She waited another two seconds, each one painfully long. Finally she heard a voice say, 'Come in.'  
  
She went onto tiptoe and opened the door a crack. She closed the door as she walked in, and looked around. It was much the same as it had been the last time she had been in there. Mr Frodo, or Dada, or whoever he was to her now was sitting in a chair at the desk. He turned around, and saw the scared little hobbit girl sating next to the door, shifting her feet uncomfortably.  
  
' Amethyst.' he said. Amethyst looked at her feet and then walked towards him. When she was right next to him, he picked her up, and sat her on his knee. Amethyst looked into Frodo's big blue eyes, with her big Lilac purple ones. She couldn't help noticing that his eyes, although bright blue, came no wear near as blue as the elf's she had seen before.  
  
'Amethyst,' he repeated, 'I though we might talk for a bit.'  
  
'Yes.' Said Amethyst with little emotion.  
  
'You were very upset last night, and I though I might just tell you a few things.'  
  
'Yes.' She said, in the same, emotionally stripped voice.  
  
' Now Amethyst, I know that you're upset.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'.. But you mustn't be silly about this.' Said his Uncle Saradoc, 'Now, Frodo, I know you've lost your parents and everything, but You must realise that people have more important things than you at the moment to sort out. The funeral for one thing. You must stop this nonsense of not eating. '  
  
Frodo looked at him. It had been three days since his parents had died, but he hadn't left his room, or eaten for three day's. Uncle Saradoc has come in, and was talking to him as he lay on his bed, still crying.  
  
Uncle Saradoc sighed,' Frodo, you are to get off your bed at once and come down for dinner. Do you understand me? Do you?'  
  
Frodo lay there, not moving. Frodo didn't want something to eat, he didn't want to be surrounded by happy smiling people, he wanted to be on his own, or with some one who was feeling the same. He wanted his parents to come in the door and tell him that it had all been a mistake and hug him, and never to leave him again.  
  
He didn't want to eat. It seemed like a lot of bother, and what else? He still had something inside he needed to let out, but he couldn't do it by screaming, or crying any more, or by eating. He didn't know how to let out the monster inside of him.  
  
Uncle Saradoc tried threats, bribes and everything to get Frodo to move, get off his bed, or do anything but lye there forlornly and break out into tears every so often.  
  
Frodo still didn't believe it. He was all alone. His mother and Father were dead and there was no one to look after him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Fifty-three years later Frodo said,'.. But I still love you. I want you to be happy in any way I can make you happy. I still am your father, even by adoption. '  
  
Both their eyes met, just for a fleeting second. Frodo continued. 'Your are precious to me Gemstone, and always will be.'  
  
Amethyst looked him in the face, with the sullen eyes and lips. Suddenly she broke out into a smile. She hugged him, and of course he hugged her back. Amethyst smuggles her head into her fathers, she knew now that he was her father, warm body and Frodo put him arms around her, protecting her.  
  
Finally, they let go. Then Amethyst said, 'Will you take me to see the elves one day Dada?'  
  
'Of course Gemstone, ' he said, 'I bet you haven't seen an elf before, have you?'  
  
'I have Dada,' she said, 'I saw one last night. He was outside my window. When I woke up, I found this under my window this morning.' She produced the plant from a pocket in her apron.  
  
Frodo took it lightly from her hand. He looked at it for a few seconds and said, 'Amethyst, it's juts a forget-me-not, it's nothing special. I bet we've got lots of these in the garden. ' He said, and gave it back to her.  
  
Amethyst put it back in her apron and said to herself, *I know it was left for me, but Dada won't admit it! *  
  
Then Amethyst said aloud, 'oh.' In a dispirited voice.  
  
'Now Amethyst, you must stop making up things like that. You'll be sixteen in a few days and you know the story of the hobbit boy who cried orc, don't you? '  
  
'Yes Dada.' She said.  
  
'All right then. Now, you go out and play then, but don't leave Hobbiton, all right?' He warned her.  
  
'Yes Dada.' She said. Then she got off his lap, and ran as fast as she could outside to where Elanor and Frodo were about to leave.  
  
'What happened to you Amy?' Elanor asked, 'We've been waiting here for ages!  
  
'Sorry Elle, my dad wanted to talk to me.' She said rushing out. 'In the study!'  
  
'Was it bad? ' Said Frodo, 'the last time I had to go to the study my Da made me stay home and help in the hole for a week.'  
  
They all looked back to that time and shuddered.  
  
'So, where are we going today Amethyst?' asked Elanor, 'To a dwarf mine? '  
  
'To a lost city?' suggested Frodo.  
  
'Today, we're going to..' Amethyst sort for ideas. Then she found one, '.. To an Elven city'  
  
________________________________  
  
The conjuror was travelling to Gondor with his servant boy. They were part of a much bigger group of entertainers, but the old conjuror was the one who led the group, as he was the ringmaster.  
  
The servant boy travelled along with rope tied around his wrists and knee's, as he was special to the circus. The conjuror whacked him around the leg as he began to slow down.  
  
'Faster boy! Faster!' The boy walked faster, but gave the man a smouldering look. The conjuror had no idea where the boy had come from, but he knew that were ever he had come from, the people must have been powerful.  
  
The boy had yellow eyes, and the person who had sold the boy to him told him that the boy was useful, but he no longer could afford to keep him. The man had been right. The boy, to start off with had been little more than a burden, but when he found out about his power.the boy had soon learned to earn his keep, but he was very disobedient, especially of late.  
  
The only way the conjuror knew how to control him between shows was to bind him with orc rope, which seemed to burn and subdue him. The boy was useful in show, and also afterwards. The conjuror never knew how the boy had learned to be such a good pickpocket, but it certainly came in handy after the shows.  
  
The boy was looking at him now, the look almost smouldering. The yellow light in his eyes shone brightly for a second. His brow was covered in sweat, and he hadn't eaten for two days and the boy finally fainted.  
  
__________________  
  
'Amethyst, are you all right?' asked Elanor as Amethyst fell to the ground. Amethyst looked up. Suddenly, she felt weak, as if someone had hit her around the legs. As she looked up, Elanor couldn't help but notice how her eyes shone extra purple than usual.  
  
Amethyst's brow broke out in sweat. 'Help, me.' she said faintly, before she fainted.  
  
_______________________  
  
The conjuror hit the boy over the head with his stick. 'Boy! Get up!'  
  
The boy looked up. Suddenly, he got up with a new energy.  
  
As he got up, the boy said, 'It worked. The connection worked.'  
  
'Shut up boy!' said the conjuror, 'I'll have no strange talk in my travelling performers! Now walk!'  
  
The boy gave him an evil look and walked. He hadn't wanted to take the energy out of her, he didn't, but it proved three things to him, Ash. The first was that the elf nymph had done what he wanted. The second, which he was most pleased about, was that he and the girl had a connection. Nymphs, although most powerful when connected, could only have connections like this with few Nymphs. And those nymphs would finally, after even a short connection, fall in love. He wanted to fall in love, if only because she was beautiful.  
  
The third was that soon, their connection would soon be a full strength, and he would be able to meet her as his powers came back.  
  
_______________________________  
  
'Amethyst, Amethyst?' Elanor tried to wake her up.  
  
Frodo had gone on walking ahead, but when he noticed that he was all alone, he ran back.  
  
'Elle, why's Amethyst lying on the floor?'  
  
'I don't know, she's just not moving! ' Said Elanor in a panic. 'How far have we gone?'  
  
'Not far, 'said Frodo, 'just outside of Hobbiton. '  
  
'Wha' ?' Amethyst opened her eyes in a weak voice.  
  
'Amy! You're fine!' said Elanor.  
  
'What happen?' asked Amethyst, sitting up, 'All I remember is an old man.'  
  
'Man?' asked Frodo.  
  
'Yes, a big man, a big folk. He hit me around the knees and I got really tired and fainted. ' She explained. I can't explain it any better.  
  
'A man?' asked Frodo.  
  
'Are you sure that happened?' asked Elanor.  
  
'Yes! One second I was walking with you, the next I was walking, binded in what seemed like a hot, itchy, burning rope and was being hit by an old man.' She explained, 'It was horrible! I was tired, hungry and walking along a hot road, the next moment I was back here!'  
  
'Amethyst, you didn't go anywhere!' said Frodo, 'Are you sure you're not making it up..'  
  
'No! She's got sunstroke!' said Elanor, 'It makes people hallucinate. Like that time when we were out with Mr Frodo and he had one of his turns? It was a hot day, an' he went all weird an' then Dad said he had sunstroke.'  
  
'No, I don't think it was, but.' Amethyst wanted to leave it at that, so she said, 'yes. I think I had sunstroke. 'She got up, leaning against a tree. 'So, Amethyst the Red wakes up from the coma the evil dark lord put her under, and Elanor, elf Queen and her faithful friend, Sir Frodo of the shire, are waiting for her.'  
  
'Which dark lord?' asked Elanor excited, and the story begins, and ends before they have to go home for lunch, as many of their adventures do. But not all of them will.  
  
___________________________  
  
The boy, the boy stood in a ring with the conjuror. The boy. He had been with the conjuror for how long? Seven years? And what did he call him? Boy. Boy was all he was to him. He wasn't just a boy, he knew that. He had power that could break the conjuror body in half, even without trying, but he had been weaken. Weakened by the dark magic kept around him, the only time he was able to be rid of it was during the night, and that was long enough to see Myotisis and maybe the girl.he couldn't appear to her, but he could see her.  
  
That was enough for him to be able to share a connection with her. And now, while she was happy, he could also be happy and content. And, he would also remember the name he had given to him by the slave trader, to describe his eyes and skin. Ash. He carried that name, and he like it, although it represented the mortal's contempt for him.  
  
The king and Queen of Gondor sat on their castle balcony with their son, watching them as the group performed. They had seemed unimpressed by the tricks and performances up to now, but as the conjuror came out with him in his robes so fine, Ash scowled at them.  
  
He looked thin, starved, almost near to death, but he went out.  
  
He was in the ring now, and the rope was removed, and a horrible orc-made collar around his neck. It was painful, but he knew that he could use his powers, if the conjuror, his master, chose him to do so.  
  
'Now, ladies and gentle men!' the conjuror shouted, 'Before your very eyes, I will make this boy, turn into a butterfly!'  
  
The crown cheered. The conjuror waved a fake staff, and that was Ash's cue to turn into a butterfly. He did as was told of him, and the crowd cheered to him. Ash turned back. The crowd cheered again. The conjuror bowed to the audience and then said, 'Now, I will make this boy disappear, and he will reappear. '  
  
The crown went silent. Then, as the conjuror raised his staff, he said a made up rhyme as Ash disappeared. Although he had no control over what he was doing, he knew that he was getting stronger, even if he had to use the girl. It was easier than usual, and as he ran to the other side of the ring, invisible, he decided that he would pay the girl back. He would make up for what he took, even if he had to hurt himself. He had to learn how to use the connection.  
  
He reached the point he was meant to be at. He suddenly reappeared. The crowd clapped appreciatively as he stood there, feeling confused. He felt so tired, and sometimes the conjuror didn't feed him if he didn't perform well enough, even though at his own table he had more food than Ash would eat in a week, but he could eat the whole table in one sitting.  
  
The crowd clapped and laughed at the trick. The conjuror bowed and made, "the boy" Levitate above the ground. He also showed then how he could make him fly and do anything he wanted. The crowd clapped, laughed, and Ash hated every moment of it.  
  
________________________  
  
Eventually, the show ended. Ash was glad as he was led back to a caravan and tied up again, the orc rope cutting into his skin, burning him. As they left him, none of them realised that they had left the orc collar on him.  
  
That made him angry, very angry, as if he were about to explode. He was the main showpiece, and he was left hungry and in pain, while the only water was in a dog's bowl on the floor. Somehow, that made him feel like screaming, killing, anything he could do to let himself go.  
  
He felt the rope slide off him, but he could not remove the collar. He rushed out of the caravan and went knew he couldn't use his power until the wretched collar was off him. He crept around the caravan like an animal and saw that the conjuror was talking to the king and Queen.  
  
He felt weak now, as the power he had borrowed from the girl had been used up in the show. He was near collapse, but he knew that this could be his only hope of freedom. As soon as he left, he could find Myotisis and he would get the orc metal off him.  
  
As he crept as best as he could on all fore's, as he could feel the life flowing away from inside him, he heard a bang behind him. He turned around quickly. He had knocked over a platform for a trick. The conjuror saw him and shouted, 'YOU!'  
  
He then ran over to him. Ash tried to crawl away, but he got no further than about three feet before the old man threw the heavy end of his staff around his shoulders as he tried to struggle up.  
  
The old man slammed the staff into the back of his head. It knocked the wind out of him as he slumped back to the ground. The conjuror didn't think as the King and Queen continued to watch him beat the boy, bring blood in a couple of blows to his back. Finally, after a full minute of this treatment, he let out an ear-piercing screech and let the silver coloured tears run down his face, like quicksilver.  
  
Then he lay on the ground, his face in the mud, sobs moving his thin, starved body without control.  
  
The king and Queen watched the conjuror straighten up after giving such a beating and said to them, 'I'm sorry about the boy, he is extremely disobedient, and he must be taught a lesson. You were asking.'  
  
The king just looked shocked. 'You had to beat the boy like this?' he asked.  
  
'Yes.' Said the conjuror, 'He, although very talented magically, is not a good man. He must be controlled with great force.'  
  
'And the collar?' asked The queen, 'Why must he wear it?'  
  
'To control him, ' said the conjuror conversationally, 'The metal of it burns him, for some reason.'  
  
The king looked at the collar, and then his face turned to terror. 'This is ORC METAL! I demand YOU leave this INSTANT! I will not have people in league with orcs in my city! Leave!'  
  
The conjuror shrank away. 'What? ' He asked in a voice so quietly terrifying.  
  
'I said leaven NOW!' shouted the king at the conjuror.  
  
The conjuror didn't argue, but tried to kick the boy up. The king drew his sword. 'Leave this instant conjuror, or I will slay you. But you will leave the boy here. NOW LEAVE!'  
  
______________________________________  
  
It was now a three day's later in the shire, and Elanor and Frodo had kept quiet about Amethyst fainting on the way to the forest. If only because Mr Frodo seemed more worried about his little girl than usual. Amethyst on the other hand felt that it had just been sunstroke, and nothing to worry about.  
  
So now Amethyst was walking around were the party was to be, as Sam and other hobbits helped to put up the tables and banners. Amethyst had been told that she wasn't allowed to leave the garden today, and was to "try not to get in any more trouble."  
  
Amethyst was learning how hard this was. She first of all was trying to help, but the other hobbits gave her the stare, and she went to play in the other part of the garden. She had begged and pleaded for Elanor and Frodo to stay with her, but they didn't want to stay and had left her all alone. She had then tried to play with the younger children, but they didn't want to play her games, and finally she had walk off in a huff.  
  
She had managed to stay that way during the whole day, when about six o'clock, she was called inside as everyone had to get properly dressed for the occasion. Frodo had called her to come to him, and he gave her a box. Amethyst had looked worried, wondering if it had been her present, but it hadn't been. He told her it was just something special to wear that night.  
  
When she had opened it in front of him, she had gasped. It was a velvet dress. Frodo lifted it out, and pressed the dress to her body. It had white lace around the cuffs and collar, which were beautifully made. It was quiet long, about down to her knees, but Frodo had to buy it a few sizes too big around the waist, as she was a thin child for her age, and a bit too tall. Somehow it was missing something, but Frodo couldn't think of it. It had cost quiet a bit, but so had the party.  
  
Amethyst ran too her room to put it on, but when she got in, it looked as if some one had been through the draws. It couldn't have been a burglar, as the windows were locked, and there was no sigh of entry. She put the dress on the bed, and shouted, 'Elle! Come here!' Elanor ran in.  
  
'What is it Amy.' she started. Then she gasped. 'What happened to our room?'  
  
'I don't know. Maybe Merry and Pippin go their hands on it?' said Amethyst, looking through the stuff strewn on the floor. 'I don't think that you need worry Elle, they've only been through my stuff. I'm going to kill them later tonight though.'  
  
'Amy, maybe.'  
  
'I don't think they took anything.' Said Amethyst, putting some of the stuff back in her draws, 'It's just a.senseless act of meanness.'  
  
As Amethyst put some of her things back, she noticed something on the top of the chest of draws. She closed the draw and picked up the necklace up. It was her old Amethyst necklace, the original string had been replaced with a chain, but it was still the old necklace.  
  
She slid it on and looked to the place next to where it had been standing. Next to it, like a little card was a forget-me-not.  
  
______________________________  
  
  
  
  
  
Okay, chapter eight might take some time coming, so I hope you like this and enjoy! 


	8. A fantasy falls apart. (err, make it PG ...

Chapter 8- The fantasy falls apart.  
  
I couldn't think of a better name, so forgive me. The plot of this little bit is basically, the illusion of Amethyst being normal -ish falls apart. How? Why? Just read!  
  
This chapter is a bit longer than I'd like, but let it continue.  
  
Disclaimer: Err, I don't own this, although I own a very nice book about it. I do own a packet of sugar though.no I don't . I ate the sugar yesterday and the book I was lent. Sorry! ______________________________  
  
Later, the party was starting and in full swing. It was Frodo's and Amethysts duty to welcome the guests as they came in, and Frodo was taking it in his stride. He had almost left the shire that day, fifteen years ago, ha had everything ready, and he almost had taken Amethyst with him, but then he stopped.  
  
He had no idea why, but ever since he stayed, his wish for the ring had grown less, and although he had the attacks, he felt that things could only get better. True, people still though of him as mad Baggins, but only in affectionate terms.  
  
If this was a point to feel truly happy, two people turned up which made this moment a lot better. Merry and Pippin were in their best clothes, not the lronmongery that they often wore, but nice, if flamboyant, weskits and britches.  
  
Pippin ran up to Frodo and jumped on him, hugging him. Frodo stumbled back a few steps, and the hugged back. Then Frodo lent forward a bit, and slipped Pippin off him. Merry had caught up with them, but was carrying a large box and grinned widely at them.  
  
As Pippin slipped off Frodo, he said, 'Pippin! I'm too old for you to do that to me, and you are not the short, light hobbit lad you once were!'  
  
Pippin grinned again. 'Its Diamond's cooking Frodo.' He said, patting his stomach, 'And I'm quiet happy with it.'  
  
'We all know Pippin, ' said Merry, 'It's quiet evident around your waist.'  
  
'As with you,' Pippin replied, pointing at Merry's stomach, 'and Esteller's not a bad cook either.' They both laughed.  
  
'But Frodo hasn't taken advantage of Rose's good cooking!' said Pippin, 'And mores the pity.'  
  
'I have Pippin, 'he said, ' I've put on the weight I lost and a little bit more' Frodo laughed. 'This is just like old times, isn't it Pip and Merry?'  
  
'Definitely!' said Merry, trying to hid the box from Frodo. Frodo pretended not to see it, and after thanking him, Pippin and Merry ran off together. A few seconds' later, Diamond and Esteller came walking fast, with Faramir between them.  
  
'Have you seen our husbands?' asked Diamond when she reached Frodo. Frodo laugh, and said, 'I have. They were just here, but maybe you two lovely ladies would like a drink before you go looking for your charges.' He gave them a couple of wineglasses.  
  
Esteller giggled and took one. ' It's a long time since anyone said that to me.' She said, 'My Meradoc's been going on about a plan for a while with Pippin, I just hope he's got something good in mind, rather than something violent.'  
  
'That's the thing with us male hobbits, ' said Frodo with a sigh, 'We never change .We remain thirty three forever.'  
  
Diamond giggled. 'That's true enough.' She replied.  
  
'Mama, why's papa an' uncle Merry run off without us?' asked Faramir.  
  
'I have no idea Faramir.' Diamond replied curtly, 'Now, maybe you should run off and try to find them while we talk to your uncle Frodo.'  
  
'Maybe you should go as well Amethyst.' Said Frodo.  
  
'All right Dada.' She gave him a hug and ran off with Faramir.  
  
'So, how's Amethyst doing.' Asked Esteller, 'I see she's grown a bit taller since I last saw her. She hasn't filled out much.'  
  
'I know, ' said Frodo,' but as far as I can tell she's fine. We did have a bit of an upset the other day though, as I had to tell her..'  
  
'Oh.' said Diamond, realising and looking concerned, 'is she all right?'  
  
'I think so.' Said Frodo, 'She had a bit of a sulk, but she's fine now. Always a bit of a strange child.'  
  
'I know.' Said Diamond, ' you took her in and that was a very charitable act on your part, and she's always been a little.. queer.' She finished lamely.  
  
'I know, ' said Frodo dreamily, 'but you have to admit, she does have beautiful eyes..' Frodo woke up out of his dream. Diamond and Esteller walked passed him, shaking his hand to the party. ___________________  
  
Amethyst was now sitting alone. Elanor, Frodo, Rosy, Merry and Pippin had run off together, making sure she didn't go with them, Goldilocks and Faramir went off to play together and Rose was with the other children. She sat all alone by a shrub as the sun went down over the party.  
  
The sky was a wonderful mixture of colours, from the ground orange, the going a light pink, and as it went further up a dark blue. The few cumulus clouds in the sky were pink, with a purple shadow underneath them. The sun glowed a dark yellow in the distance  
  
It was her party, and she was all alone. She watched as her own father seemed to be the centre of attention as he danced with many of the nice girls who had turned up. It had never occurred to her before, but her father was quiet a gentle hobbit with the hobbit lasses. That some how made her feel worse.  
  
She rested her head in her hands, and sighed. She ran her hand through her long red, curled hair and looked at the ground. It wasn't that interesting, but She watched the grass between her feet. Then, she looked up and watched everyone else. She hadn't seen Mr Sam all night, and she hadn't seen Elanor and her siblings for a while either.  
  
Amethyst got up and walked towards the party..  
  
_____________________________  
  
.While Merry and Pippin where trying to set up the firework behind a tent. This time they had learned that putting up a firework IN a tent wasn't a good idea. They had also learned that this would be a wonderful birthday surprise. So, as Pippin put it in the ground (properly), Merry lit his pipe, and then looked around for a bit of twig.  
  
'Brings back memories, doesn't it Pip?' he asked, picking up a stick, 'Remember the first time we did this?'  
  
'For sure!' said Pippin, standing back, 'It blew up in our faces and we got caught. Best night of our lives.' Pippin laughed, 'Went Gandalf caught us..'  
  
'.. He gave you such a hiding.' The both looked up. Gandalf was standing there, looking at both of them.  
  
'Gandalf! ' Exclaimed Merry, 'I had no idea!'  
  
'Nice to see you again!' exclaimed Pippin, and hugged him.  
  
Gandalf laughed. 'Yes, I have come. I don't think any party would be quiet right without one of MY fireworks, eh?'  
  
Merry laughed again. 'Of course not Gandalf, but it was the best we could come up with in the mean time.'  
  
Gandalf pulled the rocket Merry and Pippin had made out of the ground, and replaced it with one of his own.  
  
'There.' Said Gandalf, getting down on his knees, 'This time, It will be all of us in trouble, not just you two. I think Frodo could do with a surprise, and his daughter.' He took the twig off Merry, and lit it, but no one saw how. Gandalf put the tiny ember to the piece of string leading to the firework. Then he ran. Pippin and Merry stepped back as quickly as they coul-  
  
WHOOM!  
  
The firework exploded into the dying sunset.  
  
______________________  
  
'What was that?' asked a hobbit lass. Frodo looked to the purple sparks flying into the air and looked below them. He saw an ashen faced Pippin and Merry standing below them, looking a little shocked.  
  
A Hobbit lass clung to him. 'Oh, Frodo!' she moaned, and fainted. A young hobbit boy behind him caught her, but Frodo ignored her. He smiled, even though there were shocked hobbits all around him. It was silent, except for the moment of a few opportunist hobbits taking advantage of the shock.  
  
Frodo bit his lip. Then his face screwed up and then, like a damn bursting, he began to laugh. He laughed at Merry and Pippin, still innocent, he laughed at Sam, still hopeful as ever, he laughed at the stupid shocked hobbits, he laughed at the firework, he laughed at Mordor, he laughed at the world. He opened his mouth and laughed.  
  
He turned around and laughed. Tears now rolled from his eyes as he laughed and laughed. He laughed until he could laugh no more, just try to get air into his body by moving his lungs like he was laughing.  
  
Frodo looked up. 'Come on you stupid hobbits!' he shouted, 'There's no need to be scared! It's only a firework!'  
  
A few people laughed nervously. Then within seconds, they were all laughing again, and the music started up again, and Frodo continued to dance the evening away with various hobbit lasses.  
  
Amethyst got up from where she had been and went to find anyone to talk to. In failure of that, she went to find a place to sit down. She wanted to cry again, but she didn't. It was a party, people didn't cry at parties. No body wanted some one who cried at parties.  
  
She stared at Frodo and a few of the girls he danced with. They were certainly attractive, as far as she could tell. Most of them had long curly brown hair and brown eyes, with big lips and were well covered. Amethyst felt rather unattractive in comparison. She almost hated them. They got his attention, especially on this night.  
  
Faramir's mum seemed to be enjoying herself as he talked to her, a little too much for Amethyst's comfort.  
  
Amethyst got up and left Gandalf on his own. She wanted to talk to her dad.  
  
______________________________  
  
Amethyst slipped through the party unnoticed. Everyone seemed to keep a foot away from her, but no one noticed her, not even the laughing couples who were kissing. Every step she took seemed to make her got further away from him, as the girls tried to get his attention for a minute.  
  
'Hey! It's her!' shouted a voice. She turned around. Ludo Bracegirdle was there, with his two friends. He stood with his legs wide open, his friends standing on either side. He wore his best clothes, and a nasty smile.  
  
'What're doing?' he asked, 'I don't see your friends around, but maybe because the don't like you?'  
  
She snarled at him. Then Elanor ran out of the hole. Noticing that Amethyst was near Ludo, she ran to her. She could tell by the look on her face, that she could get violent.  
  
Ludo grinned, and said, 'It's your party, but no one came to see you.'  
  
'Shut up Ludo, ' she said, turning around and clenching her fists.  
  
'I heard my Dad say that you only stayed at Bag End 'cause Mr Baggins felt sorry for you.'  
  
Amethyst's knuckles began to itch.  
  
'Yeah and I can't see why. You're mad! You're Ugly. You're and ugly, mad, stupid kid who no-one loves! '  
  
Somehow, Amethyst looked as if she was smoking in anger.  
  
'Your Dad wants those hobbit girls more than he wants YOU.' Said Ludo taking nasty pride, 'And I can see why.'  
  
'Shut up Ludo.' Said Amethyst in a husky voice. She seemed to be smoking, and her fists were almost white, but a strange, purple, glow was around them.  
  
'Like I would do anything you would say!' said Ludo, 'Why don't you just go to a mad house. You and your Dad both belong their, but,' he said in mock horror,' I forgot, you don't have a dad! You're a BASTARD!'  
  
Suddenly everything went quiet. Everyone was watching them now, but Ludo didn't care. He plunged recklessly on.  
  
Elanor pushed past Ludo. 'Don't take any notice of him, Amy, just come with me..'  
  
No one could see Amethyst's face, but they could tell that she was angry.  
  
Ludo grinned and shouted, 'Yeah, go away, run away like a little girl, to mummy and daddy.but then that's no-one. EVERYBODY HATES YOU!'  
  
'Amy..' Elanor turned Amethyst around. She stepped back in shock.  
  
Amethyst's hands were burning, her face was contorted in an unmentionable anger, but her eyes - They were not Purple of iris, or of pupil, but completely purple, now burning as if some one had lit a fire in each eyeball and it was a purple flame.  
  
'HOW DARE YOU!' she said in a voice that echoed across the ground. It wasn't her voice, but that of her if it had been make deeper and echoey.  
  
He hands crackled with purple lightening. Someone screamed. The sky, before a wonderful mix of colours, had clouds coming fast over it and overcastting the sky. Someone else screamed. The sky was now dark and the clouds made it look as if it would thunder any second. The wind began to pick up, and was almost like a hurricane around her.  
  
Amethyst looked up to the sky. There was a single ray of light, covering just her. Then, she flew up into the sky, about fifty feet up. She grew to about twice her height, and, writhing in the air, and opened her mouth.  
  
What she let out, was a scream in general terms, but it was so high pitched it was more a feeling in everyone's insides and a horrible noise.  
  
Purple electricity crackled all over her body closely followed by yellow lightening. The firework that Gandalf, Pippin and Merry had let off seemed pail in comparison. The noise made Ludo fall over, and crawl backwards to find his mother. A small child cried.  
  
She screamed, now the sound was a scream, almost drowning in her own spit. The electricity covered her whole body, crawling over it like snakes, but it mainly was in her hands. Then, she slowly raised them, and threw them down towards the ground. She screamed the horrible scream that was more like a feeling again, and pointed her hands like a crossbow to where Ludo had been. A thunderous purple and yellow lightening hit the ground at a tremendous speed.  
  
Ludo screamed. The ground was charred black and a hole was left in the ground. Her eyes still burned purple, and she looked more like a young woman than a child hobbit as she threw bolts of purple and yellow lightening to the ground.  
  
The hobbits screamed and tried to leave, but somehow they were unable to move.  
  
'DON'T SAY THAT TO ME, EVER!' she said in the echo of a voice. She somehow lifted Ludo up, to the same high as her.  
  
Gandalf ran though the crown of scared hobbits and looked up at the rapidly darkening sky as the scared hobbit boy was held up, at the same high as Amethyst, although she was barely recognisable.  
  
'DON'T CALL ME OR MY DAD MAD!' she said to him in a whisper that filled most of Hobbiton, 'I'LL SHOW YOU MAD!'  
  
As this moment she reached out her hand and put it around his neck. Poor Ludo screamed as she put long thin fingers around his neck, one by one, and began to tighten the grip. He squeaked.  
  
Gandalf chose this moment to act.  
  
'Stop this act immediately Amethyst Baggins!' he shouted as loud as he could over the thunder and her own screams, 'Let the lad go!'  
  
She looked at him. She suddenly smiled, and let him float to the ground gently. He looked scared all the time, and when he reached the ground, he burst into floods of tears. His mother comforted him, but Amethyst hug in the air for a second, bobbing slightly.  
  
The clouds disappeared, the wind died down, the thunder disappeared, and so did the light all around her. She seemed to shut up like a telescope, returning to her usual hobbit shape. The lightening and purple lights around her body seemed to dissolve into the ether of the sky and the burning light in her eyes disappeared.  
  
She hung in the sky for a few seconds, as her eyes returned to normal and expression of fear came across her face. Then she said in another whisper that filled the whole party, 'I had no wish to hurt anyone.'  
  
She fell to the ground with a thump! Everyone looked at her. As she crawled up, she looked around. She got up, and her eyes filled with tears. The silence was so loud that it defended her. Finally, she let out a loud sob, and ran away, no one trying to stop her.  
  
Frodo looked as shocked as everyone else did. He had to straighten himself up again, and then he saw Gandalf swiftly running towards him.  
  
'Gandalf? What are you doing here?' he asked. A hobbit lass was clinging to his arm. He shook her off.  
  
'Frodo, did I just see your daughter do that?' he asked in shock.  
  
'I don't know.' Said Frodo, 'Did you let off that firework?'  
  
Gandalf gave a look that told him that he was in no mood for jokes.  
  
'I can't believe it!' he said, 'It couldn't have happened.' Frodo sat on a nearby chair and looked at the ground. Hobbits started to leave the party as Merry and Pippin ran towards him. Frodo didn't notice a thing as people walked out through the gates.  
  
Sam and Rose ran out of the hole. 'Where's Elanor?' he asked.  
  
'I'm here Dad.' She said. Sam looked at his daughter. She was perfectly all right. She looked a little shaken, but otherwise all right. She didn't look scared though.  
  
Sam grabbed her and hugged her close to him. He was almost crying he lifted up his little girl.  
  
'Elanor!' he exclaimed, 'Oh, Elanor!'  
  
'Dad! I fine!' she said, 'get off of me!' she said, squirming. Then she stopped as he refused to let her go.  
  
Then Ludo Bracegirdle's mother came up to Frodo. 'I want to see that girl punish! And I don't want any excuses! She nearly killed my boy!' Ludo was still crying, but Elanor saw him smirk somewhere in his tears.  
  
Frodo looked up. 'Don't worry Mrs Bracegirdle, She will get what she deserves.' Then he ran his fingers through his hair and looked back down at the ground distractedly. Mrs Bracegirdle shuffled off, swearing to do anything for her baby.  
  
Sam looked at Mr Frodo. He had always found him to be a wise person, but even he doubted his wisdom now. Sam clutched at Elanor. He didn't want Mr Frodo's child near his after what had happened, but still.he wasn't even sure what had happened.  
  
Pippin chose this point to voice this opinion of everyone's as he took Frodo's hand and asked, 'What happened? I saw everything, but.. I cannot explain it.'  
  
'Pippin, ' said Gandalf, 'I saw it as well, but even I cannot be sure what we saw. '  
  
'I never though it would happen, ' said Frodo distractedly, 'I never though that anything like this would ever happen again.'  
  
'Frodo, I don't think you're telling us everything you know..'Started Merry.  
  
'Dad, ' said Elanor, 'I think that Amethyst got angry.'  
  
'Sh,' he said, 'don't think about it any more.'  
  
'Dad! She didn't hurt anyone..'  
  
Sam sighed, 'Why do you say that?'  
  
Elanor looked a little angry herself, 'because everyone's saying stuff about her all the time, because she's.not like us, and she never want to hurt anyone. Well, not really hurt them.'  
  
This line did not cut anything with the surrounding adults.  
  
'What am I to do Gandalf?' he asked, 'She cannot stay in the shire, but I cannot bear for her to leave.'  
  
Gandalf though for a bit, then said, 'Firstly we must find her. If we are to do anything for her, than it must be with her there.'  
  
Sam, against all his feeling for Frodo and his love of the child, still was sceptical, ' But how did she do all that?' he asked, 'No hobbit I've heard of can do that.'  
  
'That is why we must find her, 'said Gandalf, 'For I fear more carnage like this.'  
  
'But how can it be carnage?' asked Elanor, 'No one got hurt.'  
  
Everyone seemed a little disorientated by this blinding flash of the obvious. Gandalf, like all good adults, ignored it and said, 'We must search for her and bring her back to the shire. I will help you of course.'  
  
'I'll put ever one to bed, 'said Rose, and walked off with Elanor in her hand.  
  
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As Amethyst ran through the forest, crying. She needed to get away from everyone, as she couldn't return to the shire. She had nowhere to go, and there was no one to run to. She ran to the only place she could think of for shelter and rain clouds began to draw over the sky.  
  
She could not go back. She wasn't even surer what had happened, as she only remembered it as a feeling and flashing lights, like a bad dream. She felt as if she had been compressed. The rain began to fall. Her dress, as the rain fell on it, began to weigh her down, almost as much as her heart.  
  
She ran up a hill, and found the old tree root that was almost like a cave, in which only a little while ago she had been playing. She crawled in, making her dress dirty, and curled up in a corner. For some reason, She felt hungry. It was damp in the tree root cave, but she didn't feel that she deserved better.  
  
She had almost killed someone. All right, it had been Ludo Bracegirdle, but that made no difference to her. He was a nasty cruel boy, but she had nearly begun to squeeze the neck. She knew that she could have broken every bone in his body at that moment, starting with his spine.  
  
This just made her cry harder. She didn't deserve what she had after doing that and ruining Dad's birthday party. He was having fun and he could have met a nice girl to marry, and maybe fall in love with.  
  
That just made her angry. He was HER father, and HER hobbit! No one else could have him! She loved him before they did, so why should they have him? Mr Baggins was HER father, and he would love HER. She felt guilty about thinking this, which just made her cry harder.  
  
She had known for a while that whenever she got that.. feeling in her eyes she would go like that, but she had never let it happen, before now. She had been trying hard to control it, suppress it, but she couldn't any more.  
  
She sobbed harder, making the whole of her small, thin body shake uncontrollably.  
  
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Hey hey! I know what happens next, but you don't! Stay tuned for the next instalment of Amethyst, the best story on fanfic! (Only kidding. The best writer in the world is J.R.R Tolkein and Terry Pratchett just to name a few) Well enjoy! 


	9. Lost and Found

Chapter nine-Lost and found.  
  
Hello everyone, Amethyst chapter nine is up! Joy of joys! So, I hope this is also a joy to read, as well as to write. There is a bit of angst, but mostly it's a bit of fluff. But cute fluff. And wet fluff.  
  
Oh well, on with the story! Oh yes, apologises to J.R.R Tolkien and Krystal Baggins for getting Estella's name wrong in the previous chapter.  
  
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Ash opened his eyes. He felt, so weak. The dim light blinded him and he felt cold. He tried to sit up, and he whispered, 'Amethyst! Is she all right?'  
  
A friendly hand patted his head down. He couldn't see properly, but he saw brown hair, an elfish face and pleasant eyes.  
  
'Do not worry, ' said the voice, ' You are with friends now.'  
  
Ash squirmed, unable to believe her. 'Amethyst, ' he whispered again, 'I must see Amethyst!'  
  
The elf woman seemed concerned, 'Sh, you are suffering from a fever. You must be delirious.'  
  
Ash let out a whimper. The woman rang out a damp cloth and put it on his forehead. Ash gulped for air and tried to get her into focus. He did not recognise her, but she was a soothing person to him. She smiled at him again and he gulped again. He was delirious, he though, so maybe this would be a good time to ask some questions.  
  
'Shire!' he said in a raspy voice just above a whisper, ' Shire, Baggins!' he coughed chesty after this.  
  
'Are you from the Shire boy?' she asked.  
  
Ash shook his head. 'No. Sister, Amethyst!'  
  
'You do not look like a hobbit boy. Your sister is a hobbit?' she asked, confused.  
  
'Not boy.' He rasped, 'Ash. My name is Ash.'  
  
'Ash, ' she corrected herself, 'You are not a hobbit. Why do you claim that your sister is in the shire?'  
  
Ash tried to laugh, but ended up coughing. 'Not sister. Weak, so.. Weak.' he felt himself slump. The elf woman tried to help him up, but he was too tired.  
  
'The fever will go Ash, ' she said, comfortingly, 'Just hang on. We will find your sister, but it will be when your better.'  
  
Ash lied on the pillow. The fever made him feel so desperate. 'Cold..' He moaned, 'Cold.'  
  
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'C-c-c-cold' Amethyst chattered as she sat curled up in a ball in the tree root, 'S-s-s-so cold.' She felt feverish for some reason, and cold and wet and she cried still. Now she just dry sobbed, as she had run out of tears to cry. She was lonely, scared, ashamed and wet. Even now she wanted to go home, and have Dad make her take off the dress and sit with her next to the fire as she dried, her feet getting warn.  
  
She wanted to go home, but she knew that she couldn't. This just made her sob harder. If she went home she didn't know exactly what would happen, but she knew it would be bad. It would be worse than the time her dad had shouted at her. He never shouted at her usually, but once she had crossed the line, and he had shouted at her until she burst into tears.  
  
It would be like that time, but worse. A lot worse. The cold was getting into her now, as the rain thundered down outside of the hole she had found to hide in.  
  
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Ash could feel her getting cold and feverish, like he was getting, but he was warming up. She may have taken a lot of energy from him, but she was now catching his fever. The elf woman now didn't talk to him, as he pretended to be asleep, but as he began to warm up, he felt that she deserved some warmth.  
  
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Amethyst suddenly warmed up a little, but it made no difference to the situation she was in. She watched the rain, hoping that she would see someone looking for her. Then she thought about it. It wouldn't be a good idea to have someone looking for her. They probably all wanted to kill her.  
  
She held onto the pendant around her neck for no reason, but it comforted her, like it was telling her to stay alive.  
  
She suddenly realised that she wasn't like the other children. She hadn't been completely aware of it at the Shire, not even went Ludo taunted her before any other hobbit-lass, it was like a feeling of dread. She waited there, watching the rainfall down from the weeping sky.  
  
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'So what are we to do?' asked Merry, sitting in the kitchen of bag end, 'We have no idea were she is, what happened with her, or even who she is.'  
  
Frodo lit his pipe, watching as the other hobbits and Gandalf were deciding what to do about HIS child.  
  
'I do not think it wise to disturb a power that strong, especially at an age when she is too young to control it.' Said Gandalf.  
  
'She is a DANGER to us, and other hobbits!' said Merry, banging his fist on the table.  
  
Sam didn't reply. He was still thinking what to do. Sure, she had been scary when she had done whatever she had done, but he could still remember the gentle child who loved to play in the dirt with the flowers. They were very conflicting images. He had no idea which one was the real Amethyst. Was she still a vulnerable child, or a dangerous monster? There was no way of deciding to his mind, but even when he had put Elanor to bed, the one who was nearest to the incident, she kept insisting that he looked for Amethyst, and that she was no danger to them.  
  
'Hush Merry!' replied Gandalf, 'I do not think she is a danger, or she would have been more violent.'  
  
'You are wrong about one thing,' said Frodo, taking a puff of his pipe, 'we do know who she is. She's Amethyst Baggins.'  
  
Merry banged his fist on the table again, hurting it and making him nurse it while he said, 'For the last time Frodo, she isn't the same as us! How many hobbits do you know could do what she did? She isn't a, a, a.. hobbit child any more! She's a threat!'  
  
'I'm sure that she had good reason to do what she did. I mean, it was the first time that she's done it. Remember, whatever she may be, she's still just a child.'  
  
'But what is she deep down?' asked Merry, ' Is she a werewolf? Or a demon, Frodo, she isn't your CHILD!'  
  
'SHE IS!' he shouted back, standing up, 'SHE'S MINE! It doesn't matter that she's a nymph, she's still MY DAUGHTER!'  
  
Merry looked scared for a few seconds, then he shouted back, 'NO Frodo, wake up and see the truth! She's not the same as us!'  
  
Gandalf chose to speak. 'She may be a monster, but she is but a child, and children can be shaped for our advantage. I suggest that she be taught to control herself and be used to protect the shire. She has the power..'  
  
'No, 'said Frodo, 'She is not a weapon, a monster or some sort of beast! She is still a person, whatever powers she holds. You must think about that Gandalf, she is still innocent to the world, and I could see that she was as scared as we were.'  
  
'Yeah, right.' Said Merry with a sigh.  
  
'.I have a point Merry.' Said Frodo, giving him an evil look, 'You seem to think that just because she is not a hobbit and has powers non of us, save Gandalf, could even dream of possessing, she is dangerous. You can fight better than any hobbit in the Shire, but no one shuns you. You, with a sword, are as dangerous as she is.'  
  
'I agree with Mr Frodo, beggin' you pardon Mr Merry.' Said Sam, 'She's jus' a hobbit-lass, an' if that were my own little girl out their I'd be out lookin' for her. ' He got up and grabbed his cloak, slipping it on.  
  
Frodo got up and took his own cloak. He got out two lanterns and passed one to Sam. Gandalf got up and the end of his staff lit up as Gandalf retrieved his own cloak. Pippin got up to put on his cloak, but Frodo took him by the shoulder and said, 'No Pippin. Stay here with Merry in case she comes back.'  
  
He swished his cloak and ran out.  
  
'Wait Mr Frodo..' Shouted Sam into the rain, but Frodo couldn't hear him.  
  
Faramir suddenly came into the kitchen, where they where still in. He was in a borrowed night-gown, looking as cute as can be.  
  
'Daddy, have you found her yet?' he asked.  
  
'No Faramir, but we're looking for her.' Said Pippin, 'Is mama and aunt Estella all right?'  
  
'Yeah.' He said. Frodo had offered to let them stay for the night, and he had accepted. He didn't want to travel back, especially how it was raining, and he would have to cross the river. Diamond and Estella wanted to go to bed, straight away, so he had let them. Faramir had gone with him.  
  
He often wondered what Faramir though of him, as a father, but he knew he probably never find out for now. He put on his cloak took a lantern and ran out of the house. Gandalf sat back down and lit his pipe. It was probably best he stay and waited for them to come back, and he did not feel like going out in the rain.  
  
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Amethyst was asleep when something found her. It definitely wasn't a hobbit, but it wasn't a man, although it could pass for one. The best way to describe it was that it was a ghost. It was a ghost as it was partly see- though, and didn't look really somehow.  
  
As it walked through the tree, it bent down to Amethyst and looked at her. It was Ash, sort of. While he was asleep, he had enough power to let himself roam outside of his body. In this form he wore a long black cloak, enveloping his whole body, including his face, except for his thin, full lips and chin. Rain passed through his *body* although it was closer to a soul.  
  
He looked down at her, and tried to stroke her soft, sleeping cheek. His hand went disappointingly through it. He wanted so much to see her, but he couldn't. He let his hood slip off, but stayed there, staring at her.  
  
She slept so peacefully, and for a hobbit she was beautiful. Although her long reddish hair was soaking wet, making it curl even more, and her beautiful eyes closed, she was everything he wanted in a young woman. She still was child like, but otherwise was almost a woman. He kissed her beautiful pail skin on her arms, although he couldn't touch it, and sat forlornly.  
  
He only knew where she was because he could only actually materialise near her. As he left his body, he started to die slowly, as his soul lost its connection to the body. He couldn't bear to see her, all wet, scared and in pain, even if it was pain of the soul, rather than the body.  
  
He didn't know how he had found out about her, even know, but he knew a little of how she had been left in the shire. During the time that Sauron had been killing, his, their kind, a few of the Nymphs had hidden their children all around middle earth so that they would be safe from him.  
  
He noticed how she had gone to sleep, still holding an Amethyst pendant. He smiled. They all got left with a gift, to remind them to go home. He had been left with a tattoo on his arm. It was of just of a flame, but it burned like hope on his skin sometimes. Myotisis had been left with a gift of a flower, and an ability to create a flower whenever he wanted it to be made. She had been left with a pendant.  
  
He wondered where his own parents were. He wondered if they would like to know how he had been treated. We wondered if they had returned to the orphanage at Helm's deep and found him to have been sold to a slave trader. He wondered if they still wanted to find him. He still wanted to find them, but one night, in a dream, he had seen Amethyst and had been smitten ever since.  
  
He felt his body fading, and, disappointedly, began to fade. He first turned into smoke, then he just began to float away, like a cloud.  
  
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'ASH!' Amethyst screamed as she woke up. She had the dream again, but this time, she had felt the boy touch her face, and kiss her arm. There was a thunder, as she backed from the hole's entrance.  
  
She felt so wretched, but she was shaking now in her fever. She felt herself sweating coldly. She looked out into the darkness and knew that she was going to die out here. She put her knees up to her chest and rocked slightly, watching outside the hole. She shock, and she gained a head ache, thumping on the front left side of her head.  
  
It made the sound of the rain unbearable. She began to cry again. Not because she was angry, but because she was scared. She wanted someone to look after her but she knew that they wouldn't want her.  
  
She heard a voice through the rain, shouting her name. She also saw a swish of cloak and a lantern. For just a second, she saw in the light Mr Sam's face.  
  
She hid in her hole, as he shouted, 'AMETHYST? AM-MER-THYST! WHERE ARE YOU? AMETHYST!'  
  
She hid into the side of the hole. She didn't want to get into trouble. She curled into ball and tried to quieten her own sobs. He passed by her, not even looking into the hole.  
  
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Sam then heard a voice shouted out, 'SAM? ARE YOU THEIR SAM?'  
  
Sam ran up to Frodo. Frodo held his lamp out, illuminating his face. 'Mr Frodo, are you all right?'  
  
'Nothing a good fire would fix!' he said with a laugh, 'Any luck?'  
  
'None at all.' He whispered back.  
  
Frodo sighed, 'I wish she hadn't run off like that! Now no one can find her.'  
  
'Mr Frodo, begin' yer pardon, but I don't think she wanted no one to get hurt by what she did. I know you wouldn't if you were in the same position.' Said Sam, remembering how he had run away when Frodo realised that the ring would break the fellowship.  
  
Frodo sighed, as he had been thinking the same thing. 'I'll look further west.' He said, 'And I think you should look further east.'  
  
'All right Mr Frodo, said Sam, and began to walk. It was a little while later when both of them saw a lantern shinning and a small body.  
  
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Pippin had left Merry back at the hole, and had gone to look for her. Poor kid, he though, she's only small, and although she scared him, as Frodo had said, she's still a kid. For some reason his mind went back to the time when he had last seen her, when she was just fourteen.  
  
She had been so scared. So scared and small, when they had been out walking and had seen orc jump out on them. He had easily destroyed it, but she stood there, staring at the bloody carcass, frightened that it would come back.  
  
She hadn't got a future, after that. When he had gone through the village, he heard people whisper, and say what they'd like to do to her. It wasn't nice. She was a monster, but he had no idea that a monster could be so fragile. Or was she? Gandalf had powers to rival her's, but he wasn't a monster. The elves had those sorts of powers, but they were the opposite of monsters. Maybe, a monster was just your own darkness, given shape. Your own fear, given a chance to bloom. Maybe it was what you didn't know, and couldn't predict. Pippin decided that a monster wasn't what she was. She wasn't like other hobbits, but she was, beyond any doubt, still a little child, lost in the night and full of fear.  
  
If Faramir had run out in the night like that, maybe he would feel like Frodo did. A little scared for them.  
  
He held his lantern up to the rain and darkness. He saw a hole in the root of a tree, just a place to stay until the rain eased up. Pippin vaguely planned to find Frodo and Sam, having left Merry to hold the fort, and help in Amethyst's search, but he couldn't look in this sort of rain. He went closer to the tree, and looked into the hole. Pippin could fit in there, just about, but he had to admit it would be a squeeze. He swore that after that night, he would lose weight.  
  
He pushed his lantern in first, and them crawled in, a better fit that he first thought. He was halfway in when he saw Amethyst, awake, but wet and sobbing. Pippin crawled the rest of the way in, quickly and held up the lantern, so it shinned into her eyes.  
  
Amethyst held up her hands, and tried to see the hobbit behind the bright white light. She gasped, afraid of what she would see.  
  
Pippin lowered the lamp, and smiled. He never though it would have been so easy.  
  
Amethyst looked up into the face of her Uncle. She looked at him with pure fear and let out a cry, 'I'm sorry! Please, don't hurt me!' She let out another sob.  
  
Pippin put the lamp on the ground. He crawled over to her, 'Shh, don't worry..'  
  
She tried to crawl away, but Pippin managed to catch her. She sobbed and hyperventilated, but he stood on his knees and made sure she couldn't move. She tried to struggle out of his grip, but it was not use. Then she went lip and sobbed out, 'I'm-m-m-m s-s-s-orry!'  
  
Pippin turned her around so he could look her in the face. He held her so she saw over his shoulder, as his hand cradled her head, stroking the soft, wet, red hair. She was wet and cold, and felt as if she was burning up.  
  
''I'm so-or-rr-ry' she sobbed again and again, as he held her in his comforting arms, 'I'm so so-or-rr-ry'  
  
'Shh,' he said comfortingly, not letting her go. On a parent's instinct, he felt how hot she was and deduced that he had a fever. She kept saying that she was sorry, but finally it just broke down into little sobs. When she had stopped sobbing so hard, she wiped her tear stain face and said, clinging onto his shoulder, 'I want to go home. But daddy angry with me.'  
  
'Why do you say that?' he asked.  
  
'I ruined his party.' She said. Then she burst into a new wave of crying. He could tell it was party shock, fear and fever that was causing this.  
  
'Look Amethyst, your dad's not angry.' He said, comfortingly,' He's out now, looking for you. He's worried for you if anything.'  
  
Amethyst shifted a bit, and said, 'Is he?'  
  
'Yes.' He said, 'Now don't be silly. You better come back with me.'  
  
Amethyst still didn't seem to believe him. 'No. Daddy'll shout at me. I ruined everything.'  
  
Pippin didn't answer, but he let her go. She looked into his kind brown eyes. He looked into her purple ones. They sparkled, because they sparkled with tears, surrounded with the puffy red skin of some one who had been crying longer than it is interesting to recall and feeling sad for longer than they had been crying. Her usually pail freckled skin was yellowish as she sweated in her fever.  
  
Nothing he could think of could justify leaving her to go and find Frodo and Sam. He hugged her, and managed to get her out of the hole with him. Then, throwing his cloak over both of them, and carrying her in his arms, some how carrying the lantern, he walked around for a while. It was easy, he conceded, as there was little or no weight to the lass. When he was carrying her, he couldn't feel the weight. She should have been a lot heavier, but she wasn't, she was more than skin stretched over bones, but not much.  
  
It wasn't long before he found Sam and Frodo.  
  
'HEY! OVER HERE!' he shouted. The two lantern lights turned around. Frodo looked, and not thinking, ran over to the voice and lantern light he saw. Holding up his lamp he ran to the lantern light. As he got closer, he saw it was Pippin, but with a little body in his arms, under his cloak. The rain was beginning to easy off.  
  
'Pippin?' he asked the world, 'Is that you? I though we left you behind?'  
  
'You did Frodo, 'he answered, 'but I didn't like to stay in the house with you and Sam out here on your own. Lucky I was out here though, as look what I found in a tree root.'  
  
Frodo reached him. Frodo lifted his lamp up so he could see it better. It was who he hoped it to be. Amethyst looked in a bad way, feverish, cold, wetter than all three of them together, and with slight marks to her cheek and one of her arms, like they had been heated up, but he was so glad to see her.  
  
'Poor thing fell asleep, ' said Pippin.  
  
He grinned at Frodo as he put his lamp down, and signalled for him to give over the child. He took her. Her skin was pail, her eyes puffed up from crying, and her forehead burning up. He put her on his shoulder easily and called out to Sam, 'Pippin's found her! Pippin's found her!'  
  
They both heard the crack of branched as crackle of wet leaves as he ran over to him. 'Mr Frodo.' he shouted, 'Is she all right?'  
  
Sam lifted up his lantern to look at the child Frodo had thrown over his shoulder. 'She look's in a bad way..' He said. The rain seemed to have almost stopped.  
  
'What time is it?' asked Pippin.  
  
'About midnight.' Said Frodo, 'And I think we can be back at Bag End in about half an hour. ' He squeezed her closer to his shoulder, 'So what are we waiting for?' he asked, 'The sooner we get back, the sooner we can all have a smoke and a cup of tea.'  
  
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Heheheh. I think that last line really sums up hobbit-ness. 


	10. Illness and Friends

Chapter ten- Illness and Friends  
  
Hello! Chapter ten is up, and although it's a bit longer than I would like, I hope it makes sense. The story does have a clearish ending at the moment, as I'm writing it now. Well, please enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer : I own nothing, except the idea of this type of nymph, and some cd's.  
  
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Amethyst blinked. Everything seemed fuzzy, and she could smell the smell of pipe weed and leather. She was near to a warm fire, but she shivered. She blinked again. Things seemed to go back into focus, but she wasn't sure. When she had been asleep, she had been in a hole, and everything seemed a little blurry after that. There was no way she could be back at Bag end .Not after what she had done. She lye on one of the couch, on top of many towels. She had been changed out of the party dress, and into a night gown. She felt dry, but she felt awful. Her head was pounding on the left side, while a vague sense of dread and sickness filled her stomach.  
  
She blinked again. Her head felt sweaty and like it was about to explode, but she felt glad to be out of the rain. Maybe some humans had found her and taken pity on her. She though that until she realised that the hearth in the drawing room she looked at was her own, and the couch was also her own.  
  
She turned her head slightly, making her head ache badly. She saw Uncle Merry smoking a pipe, reading a book. Amethyst tried not to make a sound, but soon she had to cough. He looked up, and then came over to her side.  
  
'Amethyst! You don't want to know how much trouble you're in!' he said, waving a finger at her. When she looked scared he laughed and then said, ' Don't worry. We all forgive you. You shouldn't have run off like that. Frodo's been fretting about you since he came back with you.'  
  
She looked a little surprised, but after making a few mental adjustments to realise who he meant by Frodo, she whispered, 'Daddy's not angry about the party?'  
  
'Not as far as I can tell.' He said, 'Now, just lie back and I'll get you something to drink. You must be thirsty, eh?'  
  
Amethyst nodded weakly, and Merry walked into the kitchen. He had shooed Frodo of to bed much earlier, and Gandalf and him were taking shifts. The sight of the poor child was enough to break the hardest of hearts. Monsters could never be as sweet at that, or that fragile.  
  
Maybe what had happened was a one off. Maybe she had just done that once, and it would never happen again. But as he though that, he knew it wasn't true. But Gandalf had said that whatever she was, it might be something to do with the destruction of the ring, and just leaving her wouldn't do any good.  
  
Gandalf had fallen asleep in the kitchen chair. Merry smiled and put the kettle on. Merry refilled his pipe and waited for it to boil. He found himself a chair, and watched the kettle. As the cheery thing sang, Gandalf seemed to wake up, and saw him making a cup of milky tea. Gandalf guessed correctly that she was up, and looked at the clock on the wall.  
  
'It's six.' He said, 'How long have I been asleep?'  
  
'A couple of hours Gandalf.' Said Merry as he went to the drawing room. Gandalf put his staff in front of Merry, and he stopped.  
  
'I think I'll take this in.' he said, 'I think I should see to her.'  
  
Merry understood, and let him.  
  
Gandalf went into the drawing room and Frodo came into the kitchen. He held his head in his hand, and wore a pair of casual britches and a cotton shirt with his brown waistcoat over the top.  
  
He flopped on a chair, and Merry poured out a couple more cups of tea. Frodo lent on the table and sighed again. He had bags under his eyes, and looked like Pippin did after a night out at the green dragon. Frodo wiped his face with his hand, and Merry put the cups on the table with an unnecessarily loud clunk.  
  
Frodo looked up. 'She all right?' he asked.  
  
'Fine. She's just woken up.' Said Merry, 'Gandalf just went into see her.'  
  
'She's got a bit of a fever.' Said Frodo.  
  
'You don't know that Frodo. You're no doctor.'  
  
'Lets just say its parental intuition.' He said with a weak smile, 'Like having eyes in the back of you head. '  
  
Merry smiled weakly back, and said, ' So having a little lass instantly makes you stay in nights and put on a few pounds?'  
  
Frodo smiled back and said, 'Yes, more or less. Then you get hobbits like Pippin, and he never changes if he can help it.' They both laughed.  
  
'You.were getting a lot of attention last night' said Merry, rocking on the balls of his heels and looking down at the floor.  
  
Frodo looked away. 'Yeah. For some reason the young hobbit-lasses seem to like me a lot ever since I was sixty, but I don't believe it is down to respectability. ' Merry laughed a little, but Frodo sighed, 'No, I don't know what attracts them, but I don't think I could ever settle down with a nice lass, not at my time of life.'  
  
*Or after what you've seen*, Merry though, but let it go in his mind. 'Really?' he asked, 'Maybe you just haven't found the right lass.'  
  
Frodo sighed, 'There are many lasses in Hobbiton, and at least half of them are unattached. It's not like I'm not spoilt for choice. I doubt if I'm going to meet anyone again.' Frodo took a sip of his tea, 'And, anyway, I've got Amethyst to look after.'  
  
*Bingo! * Though Merry. 'Maybe you would like to go out with Pippin and me,' he said, 'Y'know, a lads night out. A chance to have a bit of fun. Anyway, we've been missing you, Pippin and me, and Sam of course. It couldn't be a good lad's night out without you two.'  
  
'I'm not a lad, Merry, I am a gentle hobbit.' Said Frodo, smiling in his jest, 'And I do not frequent pubs. I stay at home and do work of the village.'  
  
'Come on Frodo, ' replied Merry, in the opposite jest, 'I think the villagers would be happy to see their mayor take part in a hobbit tradition.'  
  
'Of what?' asked Frodo, 'Getting drunk and having a hang over? Not a brilliant tradition, you have to admit.'  
  
'Could be worse, 'said Merry, 'You've really dropped out of the running of the Shire almost altogether, it would be good for you to have some fun, meet and nice lass, maybe get a little tipsy.'  
  
'I'll have to think about it Merry. Anyway, I though your wife didn't like you doing that?'  
  
'No, she doesn't, but she lets me out occasionally, but I barely have need of that, Y'know. I have a nice enough time at home.' Merry winked and raised and eyebrow as he took another sip of tea.  
  
'I think you should ask Sam first. I don't think he would approve.' Said Frodo, 'And he has a better time at home than you do.' Frodo raised his eyebrow. Merry was almost astounded by Frodo's perception. He had always assumed he was innocent of all things of that nature.  
  
Frodo broke the silence. 'I think maybe you should go and say good morning to your lovely wife. It's time I went to see my own girl.' Frodo drained his cup and put it back on the table.  
  
Merry was left standing, with a feeling that Frodo had somehow got at him.  
  
_________________________________  
  
Gandalf at the moment Frodo walked it was checking Amethysts pulse and asking her about things she knew all about, such as the shire, and how bag end was. Amethyst, although her voice sounded cracked and ill, was carrying on continually with Gandalf punctuating it with yes's and more questions.  
  
When he noticed that Frodo had come in, he stood up and turned around. 'Frodo, your daughter does have a mild fever but for the life of me, I can't understand why. '  
  
'So, what am I to do?' he asked, 'Is there anything I can do to make her feel better.'  
  
'Not much but keep her comfortable and warm. Oh yes, and maybe give her soft food that's easy to digest for a while.' Gandalf walked past the hobbit and went to the door. He picked up his hat and cloak, 'It might just be for a day or two.' Then, he said more to himself than anyone else, ' She may have brought on the symptoms herself for attention.'  
  
'Gandalf, you are leaving all ready?' he asked.  
  
'Yes Frodo, I have work outside the shire.' He put on his hat and tipped it, 'Oh yes, happy birthday Frodo. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that earlier. '  
  
Gandalf walked out the door, and Frodo and Gandalf engaged in a manly embrace. Then, they parted, and just before he left he said, 'Frodo, if she does anything like she did yesterday again, send message to me.' He swished his cloak, and then was on the way down his road.  
  
_________________________________  
  
Ash woke up again, but his fever had gone and he was nearly back to normal. He was disappointed not to wake up near Amethyst, but when he saw the room he was in.  
  
It was a fine room, better than any he had been in, legally, and he was lying on the bed.. It was unheard of for him to have a bed, let alone one so fine. He got up quickly, and regretted it almost instantly. His whole body hurt, as if he had been beaten all over again. Then he realised that his body was just stiff.  
  
He fell on the floor, and, cursing like a worse man, he got up. He had another look around the room. It was definitely one of a lord or lady, but although grand, it seemed a little plain. It was a soft comforting green, but he gained no comfort from it. The bed was white and yellow in colour, and the room had many cupboards and tables. But one caught his eye. It was a low, simple table, but unlike the rest it had some fruit on it in a wooden bowl.  
  
Ash looked down. He was still in his old britches and shirt, but although poor and worn. He sat next to the table, and picked up an apple, and demolished it in about a minute. Poor Amethyst, he had been stealing food off her for a while now, even if it wasn't directly. He could feel her poor ill body aching all over at the back of his mind, like an itch. But he had done everything he had to stay alive. He couldn't help it.  
  
He could feel her own empty stomach. Well, he could fix that. She may have been ill, but she could eat already digested food, even though technically she wouldn't eat it. He would just give her the feeling and the energy and everything that went with a full stomach, without the trouble of eating it.  
  
He had eaten another apple and a handful of berries by the time he had thought this. He was about to eat a mushroom when he heard a knock at the door. He put the bowl down and unintentionally squeaked. Then he crawled under the bed, hoping not to be caught. He went invisible, and the door opened.  
  
A beautiful elf woman came in. She had long brown hair, like that of tree bark, and eyes that were blue like the sky. He felt an intake of breath, then remembered that the elves could enthral anyone with their beauty. Nymphs couldn't, and they weren't a very beautiful race, whatever the name suggests. Amethyst had just been beautiful, and Myotisis was beautiful because he had been brought up an elf, but Ash wasn't beautiful. He was a pail, thin youth, with hair like dark shadows, and eyes as yellow as the burning sun.  
  
'Ash!' she called out, 'Ash! Where are you? Are you better? Have you left?'  
  
Ash materialised under the bed and crawled out. He doubted that if she had wanted to hurt him, as she would not have such a pleasant tone in her voice. He crawled out from under the bed.  
  
She saw him as he stood up a little uncertainly, and walked slowly towards her. 'Ash!' she exclaimed, 'Are you all right? Your eyes..'  
  
'Yes,' he said simply, 'they are always like this. My eyes are yellow. That is how I got my name. ' The elf woman still seemed a little unsettled by him. 'Do you want me to leave?' he asked, 'I will if you but let me have a few supplies and clothes.'  
  
'No, Ash. You said that you are looking for your sister..'She said.  
  
'Not really, ' he said, 'She's more of a friend, but we are the only thing that either of us have left in this world. We are both orphans you see.'  
  
'I understand, ' she said, 'She is precious to you.'  
  
'Yes.' Said Ash, 'And I must find her. I believe she is in the country called the Shire.'  
  
'Shire? How do you know of such places? Are you aware that you are claiming your friend lives among little people?'  
  
'Yes.' He said, 'I also know a little of halflings. You see, as she is part hobbit herself.'  
  
'I see, 'said the elf lady, not really understanding, 'But my husband wishes to see you. There is a delegate from Mirkwood coming a little later, and he wishes to see his guest before he leaves.'  
  
'Who is you husband, pray?' he asked, hoping that Myotisis would be in the delegate. He would be able to help him find the Shire.  
  
'King Ellesa of Gondor.'  
  
___________________________________  
  
'Come on Amy, 'he said more to himself than her, as he lifted her up to put her to bed. He lifted her more easily than he would have liked, but soon he was able to put her into her own bed. She seemed a lot more comfortable, and she lay there, smiling sweetly.  
  
He put some light but warm coverings on her, and bent over to kiss her sweet forehead. She sat up, and said' Daddy, are you angry with me?'  
  
'What for?' he asked, 'For being ill? Running away?' he said in a voice that showed that he was angry, but not actually angry.  
  
She looked away, 'For doing what I did yesterday.'  
  
Frodo smiled, and sat down on the bed next to her. 'No,' he said with a grin on his face, 'but promise me you'll never run away again. You gave me such a shock, and when we couldn't find you, I was so worried you had been hurt or worse..'  
  
Amethyst looked away. Frodo had said enough. Then she said, as if testing the water, 'You were worried about me?'  
  
'Of course I was!' he said, 'You're my little gemstone.'  
  
'And you're not mad at me for scaring off the lasses?' she asked.  
  
'No. ' he replied, seeing what might become a problem.  
  
'Because I though that maybe you would like them better, and then you wouldn't want me any more.'  
  
'Amethyst!' he said, almost angrily, 'I will never find anyone else, and I will never leave you if I can help it!'  
  
She seemed a little scared, but then had a coughing fit. Frodo held her as she coughed in a way that moved her whole body, and then she stopped, a little teary eyed and weak. She looked up at him, and he smiled again. He felt her forehead and plumped up the pillow behind her so she could lie against it.  
  
He ruffed her hair that fell in ringlets and said, 'Now, are you all right to be left here? I've got some work to do, and if you need anything, all you need to do is tell any adult, right.'  
  
'Yes Daddy.' She said. She sighed. He head ached, but she didn't like being left alone.  
  
'Now, be a good girl for me, and you'll soon be better.'  
  
He was about to leave when she said in a whiny ill voice, 'Daddy, tell me a story.'  
  
'Amethyst..' He started.  
  
'Please?' she asked, 'please? Maybe something from the red book..'  
  
Now that got Frodo's attention. He stopped in his tracks, glad that she couldn't see his face. He turned a round slowly.  
  
'Amethyst, how much of the red book have Sam and I read to you and Elanor?' he asked.  
  
'Not much.' She said, 'We've read the story of Bilbo Baggins and up to the bit when you reach Rivendale, but no further.'  
  
'Amethyst, I will tell you a little more, but this must be what you really what to know.' He said, sitting on the bed, 'As it might set off one of my.. attacks.'  
  
'Daddy, you're always having attacks, and I don't even know WHY!' she said, her cracked voice becoming harsh. This set off another coughing attack, but she persevered,' I don't know what happened to you Daddy, ' she said in a voice that really didn't belong to her, 'and I need to know.'  
  
Frodo sat on the bed next to her. 'Do you know what Mordor is like?' he asked her. She shook her head.  
  
'Mordor is a black land, so black, it is like night during the day, and pitch during the night. Mordor smell is like that of smoke and rotting flesh and death all mixed together in a single smell, knocking you out in a wave of disgust. Nothing grows there, but the native black thorny bushes, and these bushes are like black pincushions, except bigger and the thorns cut through everything, save metal.' He described, looking her in the face. His usual laughter was gone, and now he became more serious that she had ever known her to be.  
  
'Daddy, it sounds.. horrible.'  
  
'The whole land, sky, soil, plants, all black.' He said, looking into the distance, 'Black like nothing black enough to describe. The mere sight of the blackness would drive any person insane. The air is fowl, like breathing in sharp pieces of glass, and everything is soul destroying. The very feel to the air, the very sight of the mountains, the very existence of the place kills all hope of surviving. Orcs patrol the land, making it so horrible. Each orc seems to have been made ugly in a different way, and made to torture others in a different way, often by the very sight of them. ' Frodo looked her in the face, 'and that is why we don't read the red book that often, Gemstone, because what it describes, it not for mortals to know about.'  
  
Amethyst looked at him. 'Daddy, you went to that place for all of us?' she asked.  
  
'Every single one of us.' He said, kissing her on the forehead, 'So that is why I must go and do some work instead of just chatting to you all day.' he got up and walked out, a little too fast.  
  
_________________________________________  
  
So Amethyst was left to mull this over. The fever made her picture the land. It must have been like a wood after a forest fire. All ash, and burned wood and only the most horrible trees lasting, but even them being turned black.  
  
She had only ever seen a forest fire once, and it was horrible, like a once wonderful forest had been stripped in the space of a day. It had been when she was seven. She had felt so.. powerless, weak, so disappointed that anything like that could happen in the world.  
  
She hadn't been the only one disappointed though. Poor Sam had almost been in tears, and of course Daddy.he just looked at it, and gasped for air. He couldn't believe it either, and the whole thing, it had been discovered, had been cause by a single match being discarded into a bush. Almost as if someone liked to see that happen.  
  
He had, of course, had another "attack" and only left his room after three days, to sort out what was to be done. Sam had gone into overdrive to try to sort it out. It had been of great help when daddy had been able to help him, being more used to the administrative side of things.  
  
Her fever made the though seem like it was bursting out of her head, as memories mixed with thoughts and fears seemed to spill out onto the bed covers.  
  
To be honest, Amethyst didn't even know what the attacks were, or why they happened, but all her life she could remember that often, for no reason he would go sad, and go to his room as fast as he could. Then horrible noises would come from his room, as if he was being tortured by invisible demons, or other times she swore she could hear him screaming, pleading with an unknown person, pleading him to leave all of them alone.  
  
She had only once seen him when he was "ill" and the very sight had made her shiver all over. It had been on a walk together, and he had felt it coming onto him. Sam had told Rose and the other children to continue, but Amethyst has followed them. She didn't know why, maybe because she had been nine, maybe because she wanted to know, or maybe because she had only wanted to be with him on the walk, but by the time daddy had reached the house he has been sobbing, and Sam had been forced to restrain him.  
  
When they walked into the hole though, daddy had suddenly gone totally mad, and started to attack Sam, screaming like a wild thing. Sam was the stronger, more muscular of the two hobbits, and had forced him to the ground, holding his arm behind his back. Somehow he coaxed Daddy into his room, and locked it behind him.  
  
He wasn't the same hobbit she knew. This hobbit, being half pulled, half carried by Sam wasn't the same caring, happy hobbit she knew. She couldn't believe that daddy could be like that, even if he was "ill".  
  
After that he had always quietly gone to his room when he felt an attack coming on.  
  
But said a little voice in her head, you always feared being ill, in case the same happened to you. Remember the time you were eleven, and you had that stomach bug and you went on that walk to Brandy hall? You were so frightened of being ill that you pretended that you weren't.  
  
Daddy didn't notice until both of you were half way their, and you couldn't keep up with him, and he was practically carrying you to brandy hall. You were their for three days in bed, and all the time you could hear people saying, "why didn't she say anything?" and people questioning his right as a father, but you didn't know at the time what they were talking about at the time.  
  
You don't have to be afraid of that anymore, she though, as he isn't my father. He maybe as kind as my father, or a better person, or a more deserving person, but he isn't a relative. You can't get the "Illness" off him; he's not your dad. Not really.  
  
This, for some reason, made her remember her confusion as a small child. She though that Mrs Rose, Sam and Daddy were all her parents. Rose hadn't minded her calling her Mamma, but she had worked out when she was six that she wasn't her real or adoptive mother. She just lived in the house like everyone else.  
  
She felt dizzy and cold all of a sudden. She shivered and pulled the sheets up. Amethyst had never been afraid of the dark. It held no fears to her, as she knew, even if she didn't, that it wasn't that dark itself that was the danger, but what was in it.  
  
It was unbearable to sit all alone, cold and shivering, without some one there. She knew that Daddy would have stayed with her if she hadn't asked such a question. She seemed to have a knack of asking difficult questions. She was the type of person who would look at the blueprints for a hole, and she would be the first person to ask, "how are the people supposed to get in and out?"  
  
She felt so wretched. The birds outside where singing, but they gave her a headache. She decided to get out of bed. She put her feet on the ground, and tried to get up. Her legs felt weak and shivery, like she had been for a long ride, and was getting off a cart. Her head seemed to spin more for getting up, and she ended up sitting on the bed.  
  
Then she slid onto the floor and crawled like a baby to the bookshelf and took a copy of the red book, as well as a doll to cuddle.  
  
She crawled back to bed and wrapped the quilt around her, so just her head peaked out of the cloth cocoon. The doll was held in one small hand inside the cocoon, while the other was turning the pages of the book.  
  
She couldn't concentrate, it made her head ache worse. She slid her hand back into the cocoon, and shivered slightly. She withdrew her head into the cocoon, like a turtle, and shivered in the warm darkness of the covers. The doll was squeezed as she shivered again.  
  
Why had Elanor and Frodo been avoiding her? What she really that horrible? Didn't they like her any more? She shivered again. Had they known what was about to happen? They had been avoiding her all that day, and so had everyone else. She felt herself get colder, as she had a horrible though. They had just realised how different she was.  
  
She knew she had been different all her life, you were different if you were Mr Frodo's daughter by default. Even more if you had bright Purple eyes and red hair like the blood of a demon, but it had never really hit her how different she was until her eyes had started to burn at the party. Had Elanor and Frodo been frightened of her, and didn't want to say?  
  
Amethyst stayed under the quilt and hope, against all hopes that everyone would forget what happened at the party, so they wouldn't go and hurt Daddy about it. She hoped that they wouldn't want to get rid of her, and that no one would come and make her leave the village..  
  
She hardly noticed how her eyes stung for a moment, while she changed everything around her. _______________________________  
  
'Ah, Mr Took! Good Morning to you!'  
  
Pippin looked at the hobbit that had hailed him. It was the father of one of the many hobbit lasses who had been flirting with Frodo the night before, hoeing his garden. Pippin smiled and waved back. He hoped like hell that he wouldn't bring up the subject of the party. Unfortunately, he did.  
  
'I see you enjoyed Mr Baggins's party last night.' He said.  
  
'Y-yes.' He said, looking for his pipe, 'It was great fun,' up to the bit when Amethyst did whatever she did, he added only to himself.  
  
'Pity it started to rain.' Said the hobbit amiably, 'It might have gone on all night.'  
  
'It started to rain?' asked Pippin.  
  
'Yes. I though you noticed that. Everyone left at that point.' Said the hobbit conversationally, 'Even my Annabel, and she's smitten badly with Mr Baggins. '  
  
'Yeeeeessssssss.' Said Pippin, 'I can see how bad it rained yesterday.' Then Pippin grinned desperately and said, ' I think I've got to be going..' And with that Pippin started to run towards bag end.  
  
The hobbit went back to hoeing his garden. *What a queer fellow, * He though to himself, * But those Took's have always been a little odd *  
  
____________________________________  
  
Amethyst felt so tired all of a sudden. She lay down as best as she could in the cocoon and pulled the covers over her head again.  
  
Then, Elanor came in. She knew that Amethyst had been brought home late last night, and she knew that Amethyst had done something.not quiet right, last night. She had sort of..exploded last night. She couldn't forget the night of worry, the night of listening to whispers in the darkness, when she had shared a room with Goldilocks and Faramir. Faramir had needed a place to sleep, and after a while Goldilocks had come in.well, it had ended up with him on the floor and her sleeping in Amethyst bed.  
  
She also knew that Amethyst had caught something in her night out. She knew because she had heard Mr Merry, Pippin and Mrs Estella and Diamond talking about it in vague terms, even though she wasn't allowed to eavesdrop into other people conversations. She wasn't sure how ill Amethyst was, but she knew that she was ill.  
  
Amethyst realised slowly that someone was sitting on the bed opposite and was watching her. She struggled and forced her head out of the blanket. Elanor was sitting on the bed opposite to her and was playing with a doll. When she noticed that Amethyst was looking at her, she put it down slowly and looked at her.  
  
Amethyst's skin was yellowish, and her forehead had a few drops of shiny sweat on them, that yellow to match her skin. Her eyes were half closed and a little swollen. Her hair looked limp and lifeless.  
  
'Amethyst, are you all right?' she asked.  
  
No answer.  
  
'Amethyst? Amethyst?'  
  
Amethyst sat up slowly, her whole body hurting too much. She held her head in her shaking hands. 'Elle?' she asked in a voice cracked with pain and swollen glands.  
  
'You okay?' she asked, then realising how stupid that probably sounded.  
  
'Yeah. Just a fever an' a headache.' She said, 'Nothin' bad.'  
  
'Oh.' Said Elanor, looking down at the floor.  
  
Amethyst couldn't stand it. 'Elle. You don't like me, do you?'  
  
Elanor looked confused, then as if Amethyst had insulted her, 'Amethyst! What are you saying?'  
  
'I'm saying that you don't like me.' Said Amethyst, her voice a little stronger, 'You hate me. I ruined everything last night, and you didn't even want to play with me yesterday at the party. '  
  
'Amy..'  
  
'IT'S TRUE!' she said in a loud voice almost in tears, 'you don't like me!'  
  
Amethyst started coughing, dislodging a few unnoticeable tears. She wiped them away.  
  
'Amethyst, I do like you..' Said Elanor, 'But I had work to do, so I couldn't play with you.'  
  
'What work?' asked Amethyst, 'I know Sam and Rose would let you off chores for the party, and you wouldn't even let me go with you! '  
  
'I couldn't let you come with me!' said Elanor, 'But dad said I can't tell you why.'  
  
'So Sam doesn't like me?' she asked. She seemed deflated.  
  
'No.' said Elanor, 'that isn't it, but I can't tell you the real reason. You're still my best friend in the whole world!'  
  
'All right.' Said Amethyst, 'Keep your secrets. But if I'm really your best friend, then you'll promise to stay with me all day.'  
  
Elanor looked at her, sighed, smiled and said, 'What game do you want to play first?'  
  
________________________________  
  
Pippin ran through the corridor to the office as fast he could. He had asked at least four very bemused people about the events of yesterday, and non of them could remember what had happened. This was odd. Something like this in the Shire would have spread to the furthest reaches of every part, and, definitely, not have been forgotten in the blink of an eye.  
  
He could hear his footsteps echo around the hall. He saw the frosted window in the door, he saw the brass doorknob, and he pulled on it, and half fell in as the door opened. 'FRODO! SAM!' he shouted, waving his arms unnecessarily, 'SOME THING WEIRD'S HAPPENING IN THE SHIRE!'  
  
Sam and Frodo sat in their chairs, looking unimpressed.  
  
''Err, I need to talk to you.' Said Pippin, rubbing the back of his neck, 'Something, REALLY weird is happening in the Shire?'  
  
Frodo looked at him again, and Pippin, for some reason closed the door. He grabbed a chair and said, 'No one can remember yesterday.'  
  
That made Sam sit up. 'Really?'  
  
'It's like someone wiped their memories and replaced it with a nicer one.'  
  
'What do you mean?' asked Frodo.  
  
'Well, you know.. What Amethyst did yesterday?' asked Pippin.  
  
Sam and Frodo both nodded. 'She performed some sort of magic, which made her become powerful enough to lift herself twenty foot into the air, levitate a young hobbit lad, create a thunderstorm and unsettle everyone enough to make her seem a threat, yes, I remember.' said Frodo, 'I was their. So was Sam'  
  
Sam nodded, 'Yes Mr Frodo. It shook me up for a bit there.'  
  
'Well, ' said Pippin, a little output from having the subject changed, 'something's happened to replace their memories with something else. They all think they went home because it started to rain. '  
  
'That's stupid, I had marquees set up.' started Frodo, then stopped, 'I see.'  
  
'But do you remember Sam?' asked Pippin  
  
'Yes, of Course!' he said indignantly, 'I don't think I could ever forget!'  
  
'I think, 'said Frodo with tact, 'That we should ask Merry about yesterday..'  
  
____________________________________  
  
'What do you mean, "Do I remember?"' asked Merry as he put down his paper.  
  
'I mean, what happened yesterday at the party?' asked Pippin, who had taken charge of interrogation for some reason unknown to the rest.  
  
'Of course I remember, 'said Merry, 'I don't think anyone could ever forget. Amethyst turned into a.'  
  
Frodo sighed. He knew it wouldn't work like that. 'Pippin? 'He asked, 'Where were you when you first noticed this.change?'  
  
'Err.About halfway down Sharkey's end.' He said.  
  
'New Row.' Corrected Frodo unconsciously. Then, unexpectedly he clicked his fingers. 'Go it! Whatever happened must have only affected those outside bag end, as that was.'  
  
'The centre of the power.' ended Merry and Frodo together.  
  
'Right, but what does that mean?' asked Pippin.  
  
'Meaning Amethyst did it.' Finished Frodo.  
  
'So, is their anything for us to do?'  
  
'Yes, Pippin. I must send message to Gandalf.'  
  
'But, 'said Merry, 'How can we send message, when we don't know where he is?'  
  
_____________________________________  
  
Well, thank you for reading. I hope that you like this! 


	11. Changes come at Fall time

Chapter 11 - Changes come at fall time.  
  
Ah ha! Chapter 11 is up, and I'm slowly realising that this will have a bigger end and stuff that I first imagined, as the plot had changed just a little bit. Or a lot.  
  
I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed and just a note: I am slightly dyslexic so my spelling is naturally all over the place.  
  
And again thanks to all who have reviewed, and please feel free to review some more. It gives me an Idea if what I'm writing actually get read. Well, that's just me.  
  
Well, I hope it makes sense, and regardless of that, Amethyst chapter 11 is here to be read. _______________________________  
  
Ash walked down the hall to the throne of his host, the King of Gondor. He had changed, as clothing had been provided, into a clean cotton shirt, and leather Weskit and a pair of britches. He felt, clean and tidy, and some how a little regal in his new clothes. The elf woman was sitting next to her husband on the throne, sitting far more regally than Ash could have imagined.  
  
A boy he did not recognise sat on the other side of the king. He was about twelve, maybe a little older, as his rugged, outdoor face suggested. He had big brown eyes, and long, brown hair, which looked silky and fair to the touch.  
  
When Ash reached the Throne, he bowed and knelt on the floor. 'My Lord, I thank you for saving me.'  
  
'My boy, Ash, I believe is your name, ' Said the King, 'How long have you been with that conjuror?'  
  
Ash kept down to the floor. He dare not get up, in case of causing offence. The conjuror always made him stay on the floor like this, and tried to squash any will left in his weak body. Usually by beating the boy as he sat like this.  
  
'About seven years my Lord.' Said Ash.  
  
'You may stand Ash.' Said the King, 'I wish to ask you two choices. You interest me, and in that way, I make a proposal.'  
  
'My Lord?' asked Ash, getting up of his knees.  
  
'Ash, I wish for you to become a servant for this court.' Said the King, 'You would not undertake heavy labour, as you have before, but run errands, sing at parties and serve at the table as my cup bearer. After a year of this service, I would be willing to give you your freedom, and in turn much wealth for your journey and my favour, but.'  
  
The elf Woman nodded at her husband. The king continued  
  
'If you wish for freedom, as my wife has told me of, to seek your friend and leave Gondor, I set you this proposal. I will give you supplies and money enough to last you a month, enough for a journey to the Shire, as there is much food on they way and much water. You would go with my favour, but you would be at risk from all perils that an experienced group of travellers would be able to protect you from.'  
  
'Yes my Lord.' Said Ash, 'I understand what you want from me. I must say that I cannot live another moment without my Friends company, but I wish for your first offer. I would accept, but all the wishes inside me argue against it. I hope you understand how I feel my Lord.'  
  
The king sighed. 'I do. You are torn in two, but you must be whole. I believe that you wish for your freedom, but I have a better offer for you. You will entertain the delegate from Mirkwood tonight, and if any of their people are travelling in the way of the Shire, you will accompany them. But, if non of them are, you must make your choice.'  
  
'I will do that my lord, ' said Ash, 'and I shall forever be in your debt.'  
  
___________________________  
  
'You so cheat Amy!' said Elanor; 'There is no way anyone could win snakes and Ladders six times in a row!'  
  
Amethyst smiled weakly at her. ' I'm sorry Elle, but I HAVE won, and that means that it's your turn to tell me your deepest darkest secret.'  
  
'You know all of them Amy!' said Elanor whining, 'You were with me most of the time!'  
  
'Go on! There has to be something!' said Amethyst, 'Like that secret job you had to do.'  
  
'AMY!' said Elanor. 'All right. I've got one.'  
  
'Go on them' said Amethyst, pulling the sheets around her.  
  
'Once, I wished that my Dad was dead.' Said Elanor. 'I was really angry with him. ' She added, as if justifying this heinous crime.  
  
'Why?' asked Amethyst.  
  
'Because he was being really mean. Y'know that time Merry and Pippin and Frodo messed up the drawing room and you and me found out and then we had that big fight with them?'  
  
'Yes.' Said Amethyst, 'We've always been better fighters!' she said, grinning, 'It's 'cause it runs in our blood!'  
  
'Well, Dad made me stay at home for a week, helping Mama and Miss Grubb with the washing and cooking. One day, I was so tired and wet from doing the washing and I was still angry at him, mind, and I said, *I wish he was dead! *.'  
  
Amethyst did not seem impressed by this story. 'So, is that it? Wishing your dad dead?'  
  
'Yes! And wishing some one dead is really evil. That's what Mama said when she found out.' explained Elanor.  
  
'It is!' said Amethyst, 'Wishing some one dead doesn't hurt anyone, as long as you don't really, really mean it. It's not like you went out their and killed them yourself.'  
  
'AMETHYST!' said Elanor in shock.  
  
'It isn't as evil as hurting someone, as long as you don't really mean it. I've wished people dead before, but none of them ever got hurt, as I never ever meant it. '  
  
'Amethyst, that is so bad of you!'  
  
'Is it? Has Ludo ever died?' she asked.  
  
'Amethyst? You nearly killed him.' said Elanor with a squeak, 'that's bad! I never thought that you were like that before!'  
  
'I'm NOT!' said Amethyst, 'I'm not a bad person! I didn't MEAN to hurt him! I only shook him up! Everyone said that!'  
  
'Amethyst, I thought that you didn't mean to do.whatever you did, until now. There's something inside you that's worse than Sauron!'  
  
'NO! I'm not as bad as he was! All I have ever done is tell you that I've wished people dead in the past, and now you act like I'm as bad as an orc! Other people do that, so why do you make out I'm so bad!'  
  
'Amethyst, stop it, stop it, stop it!' It suddenly went more quiet than usual. Elanor kissed her gently on the cheek, as if to apologise. Amethyst grinned weakly at her again, and lay down. She felt her eyes burning. As they burned Elanor took a couple of steps back. She was scared. Scared for the second time of her best friend.  
  
Amethyst sat in her bed, the bright purple eye's glowing like a light had been lit in them. Flashing before her eye's she saw destruction, burning, the death of a great race, the boy, the yellow-eyed boy dying, orcs overrunning the shire, other people, from every free race dying and finally, as if to sum up all the images, the death of Frodo Baggins. Next to the bloody body she saw an elf, not quiet an elf though, dressed in black, and her eyes, as black as coal. In her hand, was a knife, dripping with the same blood.  
  
She saw all this, as if it had been condensed into a few milliseconds, and hoped beyond all hopes, that maybe all of the images had been part of a fever.  
  
'Amethyst? Are you all right?'  
  
'Yes.' Said Amethyst in a voice stripped of emotion, 'I think.. I think I just need a drink, okay?'  
  
Elanor nodded, walked out to the kitchen. Amethyst's eye stopped glowing. She felt tired, no, not tired, but scared and discouraged. As if her hope had been taken away. As if she had seen something she would have not rather seen.  
  
Amethyst turned over. She felt a little better, but not much. Amethyst coughed. She felt like she was as weak as a kitten. She turned over again, and threw a cover off her. She was sweating less now, and she could feel her temperature coming down.  
  
Elanor came in with a glass of water. She seemed more nervous than usual of Amethyst, which made Amethyst feel her difference more. Elanor seemed to be checking of she was safe.  
  
'Amy, are your eye's.glowing any more?' she asked nervously.  
  
'No.' said Amethyst, 'Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you.' She sat up properly and Elanor passed her the cool glass of water. As she drank, a few drops of the cool liquid ran down her fingers a make her hand wet. She ignored this and savoured the feel of the cool water. She wouldn't have been able to face it before.  
  
She put the glass on the table next to her, and Amethyst smiled at Elanor again. 'Want to play scrabble?'  
  
'Yes, Amethyst.' Said Elanor, and began to rummage for the game in their cupboard. Amethyst couldn't ignore what she had seen, whether it was true or not. The whole world she knew of, destroyed. All of it gone, all the places she would never visit gone before she would have a chance to even try to go. More disturbing to her sixteen-year-old mind was the prospect of the death of Frodo Baggins.  
  
Even the destruction of cities could not make her fear like this. His body had been covered in his own blood, criss-crossing his skin like a macabre game of noughts and crosses. The big blue eyes were wide open, as he crawled on the floor. His fingers were curled up, looking as if he had been scratching at something. The very sight made her want to scream.  
  
Even worse though was the elf. The black eyes, as piercing as a shadow in the light, the face, thin and pointed, but the lips full and a dark red. Almost as dark red as Amethyst's hair. The long black flowing dress, like a sooty fog, flowing around her. The hair was also like a long glossy oil slick. The skin, was, like her own, deathly white, but missed out on the freckles Amethyst had.  
  
'Got it!' said Elanor and turned around with the battered box. Amethyst felt colder for no reason. She shivered and wrapped the quilt around her shoulders tightly. Elanor put the board down on the bed and chose seven letters. She drew out the letters, and lay them out next to her. Elanor did the same. Elanor, suddenly looked at her letters strangely.  
  
'Amy? Did you do anything to the letters?'  
  
'No. Why?'  
  
'I think someone's sent us a message.' Elanor turned her scrabble holder around. It read, ILOVEUA. Then, Elanor gingerly separated the words. They read, I LOVE U A. This wasn't that interesting, until Amethyst looked down at her own letters. She picked them up, put them into the holder and read the rest of the message. MYIMCOM. She separated the letters. Now they read, I LOVE U AMY IM COM. Amethyst put the letters on the board and then grabbed the bag of letters. Elanor watched on. Amethyst, with out looking took a letter out at a time, and continued the message, looking more and more puzzled as it went on.  
  
-ING FOR U PLEASE STAY SAFE AND DON'T LEAVE THE SHIRE ASH  
  
Amethyst starred at the board. She picked another few letters at random. They were a q, t, l and h. The message had ended.  
  
Elanor and Amethyst looked into each other's eyes. This was strange, even though Amethyst was around. They were both learning fast that something was wrong with her. Amethyst looked at the board, and, very carefully said, 'Maybe we shouldn't play scrabble. ' Then, very slowly, she tipped the letters on the board back into the bag slowly and pout both of them back into their box carefully. They both felt a sigh of relief when they had put the lid on.  
  
Amethyst looked away. Elanor looked away too. Then Amethyst picked up the doll she had put inside her quilt. 'Shall we play "the adventure's"? WE can't play out side, but I've got a doll here, and she can be you, and maybe, This doll..' she reached out for a red hared rag doll, 'Can be Amethyst the red.'  
  
'So, where are the adventures going today?' asked Elanor.  
  
'Where were we last?' asked Amethyst,  
  
'Near a lake.' Said Elanor.  
  
'SO, we've got to cross the lake.' Said Amethyst, as if this was the most obvious thing, 'so we need a boat. That box will do.' She said, pointing at an empty box. Elanor picked it up, and they both put the dolls in it.  
  
'So, while they are crossing the lake, they come across a storm.' Amethyst moved the blanket beneath the boat to symbolise this.  
  
Elanor steadied the boat, and Amethyst stopped. 'So, they get through the storm.' said Amethyst, 'but they meet a.SEA MONSTER!' Amethyst brought her hand out of the quilt and pushed the ship around a bit.  
  
Elanor joined in and said, 'But, Queen Elanor, using her magical sword, destroyed it in a matter of blows!' she picked up the doll, and a pencil. She put the pencil in the doll's hand and made it hit Amethyst's "Sea monster" several times. Amethyst made her hand look like it whimpered in pain and swam off.  
  
Far too soon for Amethyst it was lunchtime, and Elanor went off for something to eat. Amethyst didn't think she could eat. Rose would probably come in and try to get her to eat, but she lay down on the soft pillow, cold and a relief of her seeming permanent headache. She soon closed her eyes as her eyes started to sting from the sunlight entering her room, and promptly fell asleep. ____________________________  
  
' We welcome, the delegate from Mirkwood, Prince Legolas and Company!' shouted a herald. Ash adjusted his new cotton shirt and stood to attention with the other servants. It was the first time Ash had ever been in the company of people who didn't despise his very sight, or treated him with less contempt than a dog.  
  
He held Prince Legolas's cup, and was to serve him and his elves in all ways they desired. Ash waited in anticipation for him to walk in. He wondered what he would look like. He knew the tale of the ring, in vague terms, and expected him to look austere, maybe have a few battle wounds. Basically, to look like a soldier.  
  
Ash felt so surprised when he saw him walk in, regally, looking like a young man how had never even seen old age, illness and death. But that was until you looked into his big brown eyes, which looked as if on the young looking shoulders, he held much weight. Next to him, Ash saw a face he had not though of seeing for a long time.  
  
He had to stop himself from shouting out. * Fool! * He though to himself, * You knew he was in Mirkwood! *No one could forget the big turquoise eyes. Myotisis's light brown hair flowed over his shoulders as he accompanied Lord Legolas.  
  
He felt his heartache and his lungs almost burst. He looked ah him, decided that he couldn't talk to him, but he made a connection anyway.  
  
*Myotisis! * He though, * Old Friend! How are you! *  
  
*Ash! *Thought Myotisis back, * What are you doing here? * Ash watched as a huge grin went over his face. Legolas stared at Myotisis in horror. Under Legolas's disapproving look, the grin left his face, and he went austere and cold again in appearance.  
  
*I'm here as Legolas's servant boy. * Explained Ash.  
  
*Servant boy? You? * Laughed Myotisis in his mind, * The day would never come I though! *  
  
*I've been stuck in that circus for the last five years, what do you think I'm going to do? Take on the whole city? * Scolded Ash. *Myotisis, please, I need to get to the shire*  
  
*How? * Asked Myotisis.  
  
*Myotisis, you must pretend that you plan to go to the shire area for a little.. Trip. You must ask for me to serve you on your trip as a favour from the king of Gondor, and he shall give me to you. *  
  
*He will? * Myotisis seemed confused, * Ash.. *  
  
*Don't ask QUESTIONS! * Raged Ash in his head, * I will explain when you have done as I have asked! I feel another presents near the shire, looking at her. And it is not a good sign. I fear that the dark had found her already. *  
  
Myotisis nodded, as he pasted Ash, and the look in his eyes told Ash that he understood.  
  
____________________________________  
  
Amethyst ran in the dark, wet forest again. She could hear a hunting party, and they were after her, again. She heard someone blow a horn. She panicked, and panted as she ran. She was scared, cold, tired, and found a tree route to climb in. As she did, she noticed something behind her.  
  
She turned around. Sitting there was the Yellow eyed Ash-boy, and he looked at her, sitting with his legs crossed up to his chest. She screamed and ran out, as fast as she could. He held out his hand for her, but she ran, not wanting to look back. She ran through the wood, her hair flowing. She felt light, all of a sudden, but kept of running. She felt something swish past her ear. She saw it was stuck in a tree. It was long knife. She screamed, and looked around.  
  
Behind a tree she saw an elf with a bow in his hands. His blue turquoise eyes looked cold and determined to make sure she didn't go back to the shire.  
  
She ran, as he fired more knifes at her. She was near Hobbiton now, and for some reason Bag end was near the edge of Hobbiton where she was running. She bounded down the hill, ran through the front garden and opened the door, locking it behind her.  
  
When she looked inside again, it was burned out inside. She was confused. It shouldn't have been burned inside of Bag end. It looked like there had been a fire raging through the house, and it had been left for at least a week.  
  
'Daddy?' she shouted, 'Daddy!' She ran, her feet crunching on the burned rafter she put her feet on.  
  
She came to the kitchen. For some reason, that hadn't been affected by whatever fire their was. But it wasn't her kitchen, not the one she knew. This one was a white and red, not yellow, green and other earthly colour.  
  
She ran to the table, and grabbed the table leg. To her surprise, the table stayed standing, but she held it in her hand. She closed the door, locking it and turned around.  
  
She screamed.  
  
Lying on the floor was Frodo Baggins. His body had been covered in his own blood, criss-crossing his skin like a macabre game of noughts and crosses. The big blue eyes were wide open, as he crawled on the floor. His fingers were curled up, looking as if he had been scratching at something.  
  
He lifted his head, and said, 'Amethyst, don't leave me..' His head fell back to the ground.  
  
She screamed again, and ran to his side, 'Daddy, daddy, no, no, no, no, no,' she said, working herself up in a frenzy of anger and fear. She held his head in her arms and stroked his soft hair as she pleaded with him to not die, even though he was.  
  
She then like an animal let a scream ring out in the kitchen and let out a piercing,'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'  
  
She was crying now, pleading with him not to be dead, just hurt. She looked up. Above her head an elf-woman seen in the vision stood a bloody dripping knife in her hand. She wore a ankle length, dark red dress, which hugged her figure for comfort. There was a long spilt up to her thigh though. She smiled sweetly, and said in a voice dripping like honey over toast, 'Amy, you are one of US!'  
  
Amethyst looked at her, crying out, 'No, no, no, no.'  
  
The woman then stepped over the body, picked Amethyst up by her shoulder, and started to shake her, gently at first, but then getting harsher and harsher, 'Amy,' said the woman in the soft voice, ' Amethyst, Amethyst, Amethyst..'  
  
___________________________  
  
'Amethyst! Wake up! ' Said Rose as she shook Amethyst awake.  
  
Amethyst opened her eyes, and had to let out a yelp. It was such a shock for her sight to change from a beautiful, but deadly, elf woman to a friendly face.  
  
The bright eyes shone for a brief second, but them went down. She could a fast beating running through her head, like a pulse. The light hurt her eyes, but did not concern her. She felt.empty. Not empty of food, or drink, but surprising empty for emotion, as if she was numb. No, a better description of how she felt was shaken, and if her emotions were to come later.  
  
She breathed deeply for no reason and said, 'Wha'?'  
  
'Amethyst, you scared me!' said Rose, 'You looked as if you was having a fit or something.'  
  
'I just had a.bad dream' she said, 'just a bad dream.'  
  
'Oh, poor darling, ' she said, pushing a little of the dark red hair out of her face, 'You were screamin' and crying out, and you sounded as if something was trying to kill you.' Amethyst smiled nervously, and Rose continued, 'I had to shake you awake, you were beginning to scare me.'  
  
Amethyst looked at her. 'It was just.a bad dream.' She said.  
  
'Are you sure, you looked as if you were having a fit or something.' Amethyst had clean forgotten that she knew about her dad. Nearly everyone she knew, had knowledge of his illness, and only the people closest to him knew what it was like. Amethyst's purple eyes were wide open and unusually expressionless. They usually held some sort of expression, even if it was just dreaminess, but now they held nothing.  
  
'Maybe you would feel better if you had something to eat?' Asked Rose, putting her hand on her shoulder.  
  
'No thank you Rose, ' she said, 'I don't feel hungry.'  
  
'But you haven't eaten since lunchtime yesterday.' she started.  
  
'No thank you Rose. I don't think I could keep anything down.' Said Amethyst truthfully. There was no point of eating, if you didn't feel hungry anyway, reasoned Amethyst. She felt a little guilty about this, but she honestly couldn't eat.  
  
'Maybe just a little soup...' said Rose, absent mindely checking Amethyst's temperature and pulse.  
  
'Please, no thanks.' Said Amethyst, 'But I'd like a little water if that's not to much trouble.'  
  
Rose smiled. 'Course not Amy. ' She got up and went to the kitchen. Amethyst tried not to think. It was too hard for one thing, and the only thing she could think about was her fathers dead body. As she closed her eyes the sight flitted across her eyelids. She kept them wide open, not daring to blink.  
  
She shivered again. She felt cold, so cold.'  
  
_________________________  
  
So, thought Ebony, the child is who we though it was. Oh, that Ash boy may think he knows about her, but he knows so very little. He thinks that she is his, just because they had a connection once or twice, and that they continual can feel each other. Well, Ebony would so be able to fix that, as soon as she got the Amethyst girl back.  
  
Ebony opened her eyes. She was in her won room again. Ebony was, as such, a messenger. She could find out anything about any Nymph, and she was very, very good at getting signals from the future. She was good, but she knew she could not predict the future fully. Sometimes, she just had to guess which vision was true.  
  
He room was much like one of a little girl. On the walls there were rows and rows of china dolls, all in lacy, over pretty dresses. They all had staring glass eyes, which made them, seem a little more odd than usual dolls. And the dolls weren't all in dresses though. Some wore fine suits, and uniforms like that of warriors. Many of them were male.  
  
Ebony stood up and took one off the shelf at random. If you looked closely at the dolls, they didn't seem to have the right coloured eyes. This one she held in her hand had long floppy black hair and yellow eyes wearing a leather weskit and rich but old britches. The face had a faint smile painted on.  
  
Ebony held it gently in her hand, and then, with a finger, gently moved its arm.  
  
'Ebony?' she turned around. A man stood their, his eyes as purple as the setting sun, but nowhere near as purple as Amethyst's. He had fair hair, and wore a nobleman's suit. He wore white silk stockings and a white silk shirt. His waistcoat was silverish, and his britches were a dark grey. He smiled at her and she put the doll carefully on the shelf.  
  
'Rex, 'she said, giving him a smile like that of a naughty girl, 'I wondered when you would be here.'  
  
'And sweetie, ' he said, 'I've got my Ebony a little present.' He brought a red box from behind his back. She gasped and opened it. Inside was another china doll. Like many of the rest, it had snow-white shin, but unlike most of the rest it had dark red hair, with long curly ringlets falling over the faintly sad face. Its eyes were a bright purple, like the velvet dress it wore, with lace on it.  
  
'Oh, Rex.' she started, as she picked up the doll, but then, it broke to pieces in her hands. The pieces disintegrated into dust, and it blew away. She looked up from the doll. 'You promised me!' she said in the voice of a child having a tantrum, 'YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU'D GET ME A NEW DOLLY! I CAN'T PLAY WITH AMETHYST LIKE THAT!' she stamped her foot, her thin white hands turning into fists.  
  
'Oh, Ebony..' He started.  
  
'I WANTED JUST ONE DOLLY!' she shouted, 'AND YOU COULDN'T GET ME THAT! NOT FOR YOU ONE LOVE IN THE WORLD!' she shouted. She threw herself upon her bed, and kicked and screamed.  
  
The man with purple eyes didn't seem to understand how to stop her. He grabbed her by the shoulders, and she kicked and screamed and kicked while Rex held her down.  
  
'Ebony, stop IT.' He pleaded, 'You don't want to get yourself all worked up, you know it isn't good for you.'  
  
'I don't CARE!' she shouted, 'I wanted my Amethyst dolly!'  
  
She got up and picked up a seemingly random doll from the huge collection. He held it high in the air, and shouted, 'I'll drop it, I will drop it!'  
  
'Ebony, NO!' he shouted, and grabbed it off her. 'If you don't stop doing this, I'll have to only let you see your dolls for business.'  
  
Ebony looked shocked. Then she dropped down to her knees and grabbed his legs.' No Rex, I like my dolls and they like me.'  
  
Rex seemed to relent a little. 'I'm sorry Ebony. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you, but sometimes I need to stop you from hurting yourself.'  
  
He helped her up, and led her to the bed.' Look Sweet pea, I can't get you your dolly. I'm really sorry, but the thing is, I don't think it's actually possible. '  
  
'Is it because she's the one?' she asked.  
  
'Yes Chickadee. I see it takes more than magic to control her, maybe, we will need the aid of silver tongues.'  
  
'Oh, does this mean I get to go for a walk?' she asked, clapping her hands, 'I really want to go out Rex! Can I can I can I?' she said, getting more excited by the minute. She was like a child who was being allowed to stay up late for the first time.  
  
'Of course my little pumpkin!' he said with a little laugh, 'I'll need you very much of course, but first I'll be needing you to sort out those little hobbits. '  
  
'Oh, I get to see the hobbits!' she said, jumping up and down, 'The ickle hobbits! I've always wanted a pet! Will you get me one?'  
  
'Of course my little elf, you shall get whatever you ask for, that is what you deserve.' Said Rex, but then he went very serious and businesslike and said, 'But remember, you will look like a hobbit, and so shall I. I'll do the main talking, but remember, try to act like them. I know it isn't much fun, but it will only be for a few days.'  
  
'Yes my Lord.' She said, 'but I shall be wanting some more dolls. I like to play with them. ' She then picked up a long knife and then a doll with neon pink eyes. She put the doll on the chair next to the bed, and tied it up with long pink ribbons around the wrists and ankles. She finally put on in the doll's mouth and put the knife to its neck.  
  
'Send in Cerise, ' she said, 'I want to play with her.'  
  
'Now, do you promise not to get blood on the walls again?' asked Rex.  
  
'Oh, Rex, don't be silly!' she said, 'You know nymphs don't bleed like humans.' She smiled again, each tooth looking like the long white knife in her hand, just for second. 'It must have been the rosters blood.'  
  
_______________________________  
  
'I think she's getting worse Mr Frodo, ' said Rose, 'She's been like this since lunch, and she hasn't eaten or got up. It's six o'clock now and she's just has been sleeping and shivering. I tell you, she's never been as ill as this. ' She said, with only slight recrimination in her voice, 'I wouldn't trust that Gandalf to tell the difference between a cat and a dog!'  
  
Frodo and Rose were standing out side Amethysts room, watching her through a crack in the door. Thankfully she had gone to sleep, and they would be able to talk without her knowing.  
  
' I'll get someone in soon to see her, but she didn't seem that bad when she came in. I just don't understand it myself.' He said, scratching his head, 'How could she start going like this?'  
  
'I don't know Mr Frodo, and I don't much care, but I aren't having her getting worse. We need a healer and fast. She's as bad as you are in her fits. .'  
  
Frodo was worried. 'Fits? She's had fits?'  
  
'Yes, she was screaming in her sleep, as if something was hurting her. I don't want to know either. Gave me the shivers.'  
  
'What was she shouting?' asked Frodo, 'Tell me!'  
  
'She was shouting for you. Or maybe for you to go away, I can't be sure, and she was quiet scared when I woke her up. She seemed to have gotton worse.'  
  
'Worse?'  
  
'I mean, this morning she just had a mild fever and a bit of a headache, but now.She doesn't sound right. I don't think she can even breathe proper.'  
  
Frodo listened. Her ever breath was laboured, as if her chest hurt. She coughed every so often, sounding as if she was drowning inside her own body.  
  
'Rose, send a messenger down to the village, tell them to tell the healer to come fast and not to dawdle. I will stay with Amethyst for the time being.'  
  
_____________________________  
  
Okay, Who are Rex and Ebony? What do they have in store of the hobbits? Don't their names sound like people out of the tribe?  
  
Well, hopefully a new chapter will be up soon.  
  
Remember, look after yourselves, and each other. 


	12. The fog begins to Clear

Chapter 12- The fog begins to clear  
  
Hey hey! Chapter 12 is up, and you may like to know this little fact. Remember what Myotisis say's to Ash about the Connection in this chapter, because I swear it will come back in chapters to come. Trust me on this.  
  
Okay, Disclaimer: I do not own this. I do not make money out of this. I don't own Frodo, Legolas, Sam or Aragorn (WHY! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!) But I wish I did. This all begins to Tolkien, and Peter Jackson and their subsidiary areas.  
  
Okay, less from me, more with the story all ready. Remember what Myotisis says to Ash about the connect though. I promise it has relevance to the story!  
  
_____________________________  
  
'So, Myotisis, I see you are planning a trip to the shire...' said Aragorn.  
  
'Yes my lord.' He said, eating another bite of the meal, 'I wish to find out about those known as hobbits..'  
  
'BOY' shouted Legolas, and snapped his fingers at Ash. Ash felt angry, just for a moment, but then smiled sweetly and walked over to him.  
  
'Boy, could you get me a cup of wine?' he asked.  
  
'Yes sir.' He said, and returned shortly with a cup of blood red wine. Legolas took it, and sipped it.  
  
'Is there anything else I can..' Ash stopped. He could feel himself get weak with a low throbbing pain in his head. He could feel his lungs tighten, as if he had been running, and a vague sense of drowning. His head, although throbbing, seemed to become as light as air, as he gasped out for breath.  
  
He could feel everything around him become as if it was a fog. He put his head in one of his hands. He sighed, and then he could see it, in that moment between sleep and consciousness. He could see the room, a small girl's bedroom, richly decorated, and the sight of forget-me-nots growing by the windows. He knew what was happening now. AMETHYST!  
  
Quickly, he got her out of her head. He felt himself send her his feeling. Of well being and health, but it was no use. He knew he had sent his own illness to her by mistake. He had wondered how he had recovered so quickly. * Fool * he though to himself, *How could you be so stupid! She's pretty delicate as it is, without you doing this to her! *  
  
The worst thing was though, was that he could feel.. Something, or someone else there. They were watching her. They were watching her every weak move, thinking her every painful though, sharing, as he was, her every struggling breath.  
  
He gasped loudly, and blinked. Something or someone had separated him from her. The connection had cut off abruptly, as if something didn't want him to be able to see her. He was back in the hall, swaying slightly. He blinked again, and then said, 'I'm sorry. Is their anything else you want?'  
  
'Boy, what is wrong with you?' asked Legolas, 'Boy?'  
  
Boy, Ash, Nymph of power, brother strength of the race, the yellow eyed one, swayed, just for a moment, and then stood tall. 'My Lord, I suffer from nothing but a broken heart.'  
  
________________________________________  
  
Amethyst was swimming in a sea of tears, the salty water caressing her ivory white skin. She could see in the distance a boy; the yellow-eyed one, she had seen so often in her dream, the ones that were either visions of heavens or of hells. He swam towards her, and she tried to. She could feel herself drowning, as she tried to get closer to him. Her legs kicked helplessly, but she was getting closer and closer as she felt herself running out of breath slowly.  
  
The yellow-eyed boy was close to her now, just a few feet away. His thin face, as pale as a cloud had a faint smile on it. The feminine pink lips looked so soft and touchable from where she was. He held his hand, and reached out for her.  
  
She could see the sun, above the surface, shinning down on her in the dark blue, tearful water. She felt herself sinking into the dark waters, helpless. The yellow-eyed boy swam downwards, and she tried to kick when she realised that someone was pulling her down.  
  
It was the black-eyed elf. She smiled at Amethyst, then she let go. Amethyst went up, in a flurry of bubbles. She could feel herself got closer and closer to the boy, and, soon, she was but millimetres away from him. He grabbed her by the ends of her fingers, but Amethyst felt herself being lifted. She was being pulled away from him, the warmth of his fingertip being dragged away from hers.  
  
She suddenly realised that it was someone's arms under hers. She looked up. It was a man, with dark purple eyes, like the purple of thunderstorms or the purple of spilt regal blood. She was going up, and she could see Ash being dragged down by her, the elf with black eyes, grinning madly and taking some sort of sick pleasure in pulling him down slowly.  
  
She could see his eyes wide open, the yellow orbs staring at her, almost crazy with pain. Air escaped his desperate lungs, as his tried to kick the elf off and swim back to the surface. She went through the surface of water, and was lifted up by the purple-eyed man.  
  
She had never seen a man like him. He had fair hair, bone white, like his face. His long eyelashes, black and powerfully framed the purple eyes. They were a redder colour than hers, as hers were quiet bluish compared to his. He had pale, faintly pink lips, which were thin and harsh looking. His fair hair was shoulder length, and rubbed on her neck.  
  
He lifted her far above the sea, and further and further and further. Amethyst would have been terrified if she hadn't felt so.. Exhilarated. She felt herself want more power like this, like she had felt at the party but a night ago. She wanted to rule the world, set all the wrongs right, and make people not want to harm her, or her father.  
  
*All this can be your, * she felt in her mind, * All this IS yours. You are special. You can do this. *  
  
She suddenly appeared in a room. It was white all over, so you couldn't tell where the floor ended and the wall started. This gave the disconcerting feeling that there WAS no wall, just room.  
  
Then, she saw the man take a knife out of his belt. It was a long, thin hunting knife, like one she had seen earlier.  
  
THWACK!  
  
The sound of a knife cutting easily through flesh was heard, echoing through the place. She turned around. Behind her, her father's body lay. It was covered in his own blood, all over, criss crossing his body like a deranged spiders web. His bright blue eyes were red, and a faint trickle of bloody ran down from his now blue lips, slowly down his jawbone, where a faint splash echoed around the hall.  
  
The purpled-eyed man passed the knife over to the woman, who thrust it into his body one more time. She looked up and smiled at the man, like a child looking for approval. Then she smiled at Amethyst, passing her the knife.  
  
Amethyst watched this needless act and started to cry. She dropped to her knees and started to cry.  
  
'NO!' she screamed, it echoing around the room, 'NOOOOOOOOOO!'  
  
She wiped a tear from her eye in vain, and then lifted some of the black curled from Frodo's face. On it, like an ugly clown's face, the man had carved on some symbols on his perfect face. Amethyst cried, and then she felt herself drowning, drowning, and drowning.sinking far below the surface of a sea of tears.  
  
______________________________  
  
'Let me see to the boy!' said Myotisis, 'I am a healer, and should be able to solve any ailment he has.'  
  
'He is but a servant boy!' started Legolas, and then the look Arwen gave him, shut him up.  
  
Ash had been lain out in one of the spare bedroom, and the three elves had escorted him up the stairs before he had flopped onto the bed.  
  
Myotisis leaned over him, and though, *What are you playing at ASH! *  
  
*I'm not, * Ash thought back curtly, *I feel so ill.. Amethyst, it's her! Her illness affects me as well! She is near death! *  
  
*Ash, break off the connection! * Myotisis though, *It is the only way *  
  
Ash looked at him for too long. *NO! Amethyst, she is all I've got! *  
  
Myotisis sighed. 'What are you doing Myotisis?' asked Legolas.  
  
'Examining the patient.' He replied. Myotisis concentrated his though, *Ash, you have to remove yourself from her! * He though, * She's going to drag you down with her! One of you has to survive. *  
  
*NO! If she dies, I'm dying too! * He shouted back over the thought space.  
  
*Ash, this is MADNESS. *  
  
*No it isn't. It's. *  
  
'Myotisis!' said Legolas, 'What on earth do you think you're doing?'  
  
Myotisis looked at Legolas. 'I am trying to find out what it wrong my Lord..'  
  
'Oh, Myotisis, I'll do it!' he pushed the elf out of the way, and lent over the boy himself. He looked at him but for a few seconds, and said, 'He had some sort of illness that affects the heart and lungs.It might have been cause by overwork, or by staying out in the cold and wet for long periods of time.'  
  
____________________________  
  
'.. But I suggest that you keep her warm and hope for the best.' Said the healer as he packed up.  
  
'Is that it?' said Frodo, 'Are you telling me my daughter is going to die?'  
  
'Not exactly..' Said the healer, 'But the chances are slim, especially for a lass as.weak and delicate as your own. The only thing I can suggest is that if, and I mean if, she survives, I would not allow her out of my sight for much time. '  
  
Frodo looked at the hobbit, with fear mixed with disappointment.  
  
'But, ' said the healer realising that Frodo, even though he looked thin and weak, would rip his heart out at this moment if it could mean saving the lasses life, 'I have some medicine that might help her recover if she walk up. It's sort of help her body heat up and fight off whatever has affected her.' He gave Frodo a bottle of orange medicine and walked out, shutting the door behind him in a flurry.  
  
Rose patted the hobbit on the shoulder. Frodo stood, looking at the door, with the bottle of medicine in his hand. He looked away, unable to show her his face.  
  
______________________________  
  
'Amethyst, please wake up!' shouted Frodo as Amethyst's pulse started to weaken. She sounded now as if someone was torturing her as she gurgled and coughed.  
  
'Amethyst, please, this is serious. Please wake up!'  
  
She let out a soft scream, as if something horrible was happening in her head. She gurgled again, and then her breathing was near to normal. Frodo stroked her head, pulling a few of her ringlets of her face, maybe as if it might be the last time he saw them.  
  
'Amethyst, please gemstone, I love you. Wake up!' he felt something fall down his face, from his stinging eye. He touched his face to feel what it was. He felt a hot, salty tear droplet fall from his eye. His throat felt like he had swallowed a stone and his beautiful eyes stung with pain he had hoped never ever to come close to felling again in his life.  
  
Now, Frodo had heard everything about how a good, strong hobbit shouldn't cry like a child, or it made you "feeble". He sat their, with a tiny child, dying slowly in his arms and wept, unashamedly, not caring who knew that he, Frodo Baggins, had more emotion than the brittle smiled he usually wore in public.  
  
He let his face brush hers and kissed the child. His tear fell on her skin, making the ash white skin slightly less grubby, the little tracks falling down her own face.  
  
'Come on Gemstone!' he whispered, 'I need you to live! You're the only thing that keeps me going on like this! I would have left long ago if you hadn't come into my life, like a little ray of light. Gemstone, if you die, you'll take a part of me with you. Please, I love you, I need you!' He let out a choked sob again.  
  
'Please.' He whispered in a hoarse whisper, 'Please. I can't take this any more!' He placed the small child to his breast, and rocked her, as her pulse beat away, like the rhythm of life, dulled, but would never stop.  
  
He wrapped a blanket around her and cried with her and rocked both of them. He kept on whispering to her, and weeping.  
  
Then, after what seemed like the longest five minutes and twenty-six seconds in eternity, the pulse slowed down more, almost stopping. Her lips were starting to go paler and her long eyelashes that framed her beautiful eyes stayed shut.  
  
'No, ' he whispered, 'NO!'  
  
For a moment, that lasted forever and never, stretching over his entire time, the pulse stopped.  
  
Then, slowly, he felt it start again, getting stronger and stronger. Amethyst's laboured breathing became softer, less like she was drowning. Although he knew nothing about medicine other than a few essentials, and nothing about those diseases of the heart and lung, he knew she was going to survive.  
  
He lay her down softly on the bed, and lay with her, counting her every breath as they lay there together, almost breathing in sync.  
  
He stroked her long hair again, and said nothing. He watched her face intently, waiting for something he could not possibly express in words or actions.  
  
Finally, after a few seconds, her heavy eyelids lifted a little, enough to show him the purple eyes that shone like a flame in the darkness. The pupils were large and heavy, the lightening purple iris just visible. It looked to Frodo like a sun being eclipsed.  
  
He didn't say anything, but looked at her, and how she had nearly died. He lent over and kissed her, hugging her gently. Amethyst lifted her head for a second, and smiled. Frodo smiled back and she put her head back on the bed. Amethyst was safe. She instantly fell asleep again.  
  
Merry chose this moment to walk in. 'Frodo.'  
  
Frodo sat up. 'Where have you been all day?' he asked.  
  
'Err, just out and about. ' Said Merry, 'Looking around the Shire with Estella and showing her all our old haunts. '  
  
Frodo smiled brittlely. 'I see. Good day? '  
  
'Yeah. Estella seemed quiet interested. I think we might go home tomorrow. ' He looked up at the ceiling and said, 'this place hasn't changed much since the last time I was here. There are still lots of bedrooms, even with Sam's brood in here.'  
  
'Hmm.' Said Frodo. His maimed hand stroked Amethysts ringlets and smiled.  
  
'I heard the heeler leave just now.' Said Merry conversationally, 'Everything all right?'  
  
'No.' said Frodo, 'Amethyst got worse, but I thinks she's on her way to recovery. ' Then put his head in his hands. 'I am such an idiot!' he whispered, 'I mean, she spent all night in the cold and wet, and I expect her to be all right! No one could survive, especially if they are like her.'  
  
Merry seemed to understand. 'Oh.' he said.  
  
'And why did she run off? Because she was frightened by herself. I mean, being frightened of her own self? ' He ran his hand through his curls, 'That's worse than me.'  
  
Merry understood what he meant. Frodo, ever since Amethyst had become five, became almost paranoid about having these attacks. They made him feel out of control, like he had no control over his own body or thoughts. Merry conceded that this might be quiet frightening to him.  
  
Frodo continued, letting everything come out of him. 'I mean, maybe you were right last night. Maybe she would be better off with her own parents. They would know what she is for one thing, and what to do with her. Maybe I should have looked better for them at the time.' Frodo sighed. ' I didn't think about yesterday earlier, maybe because I can't accept what she is. '  
  
Merry sat down next to him. 'Now, look Frodo, ' said Merry with a mock tone of scolding him, ' you are not to blame for whatever happened last night, and neither is she. Her parents gave her away for a reason, and that was for her find better parents, and you have been a good parent. If they wanted her, they might have shown a little more concern for where she was, or let a note, or.. Anything.'  
  
'But they did leave her something.' Said Frodo, 'The pendant. I have no idea what it means, or what it is, but I know its important. ' Frodo put his hand in his pocket and brought out the pendant he had removed from her last night.  
  
It was, as Frodo had said, made of Amethyst, and looked like a droplet of water, but on it, it looked as if someone had scratched symbols onto the stone, and they told a story, or had a message.  
  
'That's elfish!' blurted out Merry. Frodo looked at him. Merry seemed to realise something. 'You never read it?'  
  
'It isn't ordinary elfish,' Frodo said, 'It's ancient, before the elves I reckon. ' He played with it in his hands. 'Well, I wouldn't want to know anyway.'  
  
'Frodo, did you think any more on that lads night out?' asked Merry.  
  
'Yes.' Said Frodo grinning again, 'And Maybe, if Sam goes. You know ale and me; it works rather fast on me. I'd rather not be the only one not drinking.'  
  
Merry laughed, and patted him on the back. 'Frodo, that's half the fun being drunk!'  
  
'And the other half watching me!' said Frodo gloomily, 'The last time I went out, after about a pint I was flat on the floor.'  
  
'I have to admit Frodo, it was funny watching you get their.' Said Merry, almost laughing from the memory, 'I think you punched someone, and we all woke up in farmer Maggots field.'  
  
'Yes Merry, ' said Frodo, as he watched Merry laugh, 'And do you remember what happened next?'  
  
'Yeah, I got bitten by one of his dogs.' Said Merry matter of factually. Frodo gave him a look. 'So, maybe that wasn't a good example, but, well, Pippin and I miss you. '  
  
Frodo smiled. 'I'm sorry Merry, but I still don't think it's a good idea. '  
  
'Fro-do!' he said in a childish voice, 'It's not fair!'  
  
Frodo sighed. 'Merry, the healer said that this is a very unstable time for Amethyst, so I won't be able to leave her for at least a week. When was this evening you were planning.'  
  
'Err, next month?' asked Merry hopefully.  
  
Frodo smiled at him, and stroked one of Amethyst's ringlets. ' Maybe, but I won't go until Amy's got better. I wouldn't want to leave her. '  
  
Merry understood somewhat. 'So next month okay for you?' he asked.  
  
Frodo laughed, and then said, 'Yes.'  
  
'Right then!' said Merry, rubbing his hands, 'I'll see you then, and get Sam. We've got plans for him.' Then he got up, and walked out.  
  
Frodo smiled again, and sighed. He lay down next to her again, breathing in synchronisation. The sun sank below the horizon and the sky went dark. Clouds covered the rising moon and by eight o'clock, both father and daughter were asleep, sleeping together on the small bed, breathing softly at the same time.  
  
Later Amethyst woke up, and saw her father. His face was so sweet in the moonlight that came through her windows, and somehow, even his maimed right hand looked perfect. His body was warm and soft, and Amethyst was cold. She threw a blanket over him, and then snuggled in next to him, filling the space that his stomach would usually have filled, if he were like other hobbit.  
  
Now, in the cold dark night, she was so glad he wasn't like other hobbits. For one thing, she wouldn't have had so much room. She slept, wrapping his arm over her.  
  
He would protect her, nothing could hurt her when he was a round. Frodo, even later, rolled over in his sleep, and noticed her soft, sweet breath. He would have got up, and gone to bed, but he couldn't leave her, not like this. Not ill, and just scrapping death. He stroked a soft curl and promptly fell asleep. For this time, life was perfect. Just for a few seconds, and it was enough to last them a life time.  
  
______________________________________  
  
'Is the boy up yet?' asked Legolas.  
  
Myotisis shock his head. 'He'll recover, but he needs a little sleep. He's a lot stronger than he looks. All he needs is a little food.'  
  
Legolas looked at him for a little too long. 'Is that all? He seemed quiet ill.' he asked.  
  
'Yes. I can feel it.' Said Myotisis, * And Amethyst's recovering * He thought to himself, *so Ash will recover as a result. *  
  
Legolas left it. Myotisis had taken a shift to look after the boy all night, as they had agreed. Myotisis got up and walked into the bedroom. Ash stood there, wearing the fine clothes he had worn last night, the fruit bowl empty. When he saw Myotisis, (closely followed by Legolas) he cried out, 'MYOTISIS'.  
  
He ran and threw his arms around the elf, and hugged him hard. To Legolas's surprise, Myotisis held his arms around the boy and hugged him back, tears in his eyes.  
  
'Myotisis, old friend, It has been a long while since I last saw you.' he whispered in the embrace.  
  
'I as well old friend,' said Myotisis, 'And how I've missed you. How I've dreamed of embracing you.'  
  
'Wait a moment, you know this boy?' asked Legolas.  
  
'Of course he does!' said Ash, 'He's..'  
  
'My Lord.'  
  
'You know this boy?' asked Legolas again.  
  
Ash looked guilty, but Myotisis said,' My Lord, I must explain, and it make take a little while to comprehend. The boy and I are not all we seem. We are those before the elves, before the Audiun, in fact, those at the same times as Valar himself. We are the nymph race.'  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Legolas sat down, waiting for all of this to make some sense. He recapped, 'SO, you and the boy are looking for someone in the shire that is a hobbit, yet not a hobbit, but a nymph like yourselves. '  
  
'Her mother was killed by Saruman in the evil times, and her father left her mother for reasons that I don't know,' said Ash, 'She appeared to me in a dream when I was seven, and ever since I have been waiting to meet her. '  
  
'I, I mean Ash and Myself, believe that she is the one of two.' Said Myotisis, putting his hand on Ash's shoulder.  
  
'The one of two what?' asked Legolas.  
  
'The Kathaerdous. ' Said Ash.' Myotisis believes that we two are the Kathaerd. '  
  
'Kathaerdous?' asked Legolas.  
  
'It is an ancient language, known only to those of the nymph race, and those associated with it. ' Myotisis put his head in his hand, 'Roughly translated, it means 'The beautiful and good peoples, ' or, as we see it, 'Saviours.' '  
  
_______________________________  
  
This took much time for Legolas to understand, but he did as Myotisis and Ash asked. He asked Aragorn for the servant boy, even though he was ill and did not tell anyone about their real race.  
  
So, as they travelled back to Mirkwood, Ash, travelling on a horse slept. To Legolas the boy never seemed to rest. His sleep was always interrupted with bitter dreams, making the boy unnerved. Myotisis didn't seem to take any notice of this. Legolas was coming fast under the impression that Myotisis was not as cheerful as he first thought.  
  
He had somehow grown attached to Ash. They may have been unlike, but during his time of wakefulness, Ash seemed to be the sort who Legolas would love, and had loved. He couldn't begin even to try to compare Ash to anyone he knew. His sense of duty was much like Sam's, but his intellect was like that of Frodo, who he still dearly loved. His agility was like that of a young elf, and he had the same air of mystery of Gandalf.  
  
Legolas had rarely seen Myotisis perform magic, and the sort Legolas had seen was elf magic, so Legolas was full of interest when Ash performed a few of the tricks he had performed at the circus, but of his own free will. He had done some in the evenings to entertain those they travelled with, but occasionally, just occasionally Legolas swore he saw tears in those big yellow eyes. As if Ash was in pain.  
  
So, Legolas turned over in his wait for sleep. He looked into the dying embers of the fire, and saw the Ash was still awake, his thin bonish legs pulled painfully close to his thin chest. He looked into the embers, and a tear left his eye, dropping into the small fire. Legolas watched. He didn't know why, perhaps because he was too tired to get up, maybe because he wished to see they boy, but as he watched, he found out what it meant to have a broken heart.  
  
Ash let himself cry, as he played with the Ash left over from the fire. It ran through his fingers like sand, and kissed it. Ash lay down, and then, Looking into the flames, said, 'Amethyst, I'm coming. Please, I'm coming.'  
  
There was no sound. Ash said, 'I'm sorry I left you, I'm sorry. I couldn't..' No sound. 'Amethyst, I'll be able to see you for real soon, and we shall live happily together. Oh Amethyst, if only you knew how much I loved you!'  
  
Legolas rolled over, not wanting to hear more. Later, the boy's sobs lessened, and he fell asleep. At this point, Legolas though he was never going to be able to sleep, when he saw something in the bushes. He sat up, and felt for his knife. He crept up on the bush, and then plunged the knife in.  
  
He heard a whimper, and a beautiful black cat came out of it. The cat was as black as night and its eyes shone purple. Legolas felt relieved, then he felt compelled to stroke the small animal. He gingerly put his hand to the cat's back, and touched it. The cat purred at him and seemed pleased.  
  
As Legolas stroked the cat, Ash seemed to wake up, focusing on the only waken figure. Then, he saw the cat. He felt unnerved, but then he saw the purple eyes.  
  
All tiredness left Ash's limbs, and he got up, running. The cat hissed, as Ash got up, putting out its claws. Ash, his eyes suddenly burning bright, turned into the largest, blackest dog Legolas had ever seen. He roars loudly at the cat, making even Legolas quake. The cat yowled, and ran off.  
  
Ash's eyes stopped shinning, as he turned back into a boy. He wiped his mouth, and Legolas looked at him with shock.  
  
'What was that all about?' asked Legolas.  
  
'I saw it.' Said Ash panting, 'I saw one of THEM!' he spat the word like a disease, 'One of the one's who wish to hurt Amethyst. '  
  
'It was a cat!' said Legolas.  
  
'No it wasn't,' said Ash,' it looked like a cat, but if it were a cat, I am the prince of Mirkwood!'  
  
'But.'  
  
'Think again Prince. Do many cats have purple eyes? I doubt it.'  
  
Legolas looked down. He heard the noise of a man running, then changing into bird fluttering away, which was unusual for any time, especially at night. Legolas though. 'We must leave this place and head towards the Shire!' he said, getting up. 'Wake Myotisis. He will travel with us.'  
  
'But Legolas, ' said Ash, 'It is night, and there is no moon. We have very few supplies, and on the route they're few people but timid hobbits. They would not help us.'  
  
Legolas packed a bag. 'We must leave before anyone can find us. Ash, I have no need of food for a few weeks, you may have mine.'  
  
'No, I need not eat. Amethyst will sustain me.' Said Ash.  
  
Legolas put the bag on his back. 'We will take leave of this place and go before anyone knows what happened.'  
  
'What about your people?' asked Ash.  
  
'I have instructed them to return, with or without me. I shall leave a message for them that I left the trip abruptly because I received notice that an old friend became sick. ON!'  
  
As Ash put his and Myotisis's bag on a horse, and woke the elf and left no sign being on the ground.  
  
________________________  
  
*Ash, that was the trouble! * Thought Rex, * That boy got to her first! She will not trust us.*  
  
Rex sat next to the fire in the castle. They had invaded it and taken it as their own, from the humans. It had been a cold place, but the nymphs could make nearly any place homely after a bit of effort.  
  
Ebony came in, her long, red, tight dress dragging across the floor. 'My lord,' she asked, 'What is wrong.'  
  
'Ebony!' he said, sitting up, 'You are done playing?'  
  
'Yes my lord. Cerise doesn't play very well. She didn't last too long. Anyway, the lords' over us came to me. They told me.. Everything.. About her.'  
  
'What sweetie pie?' asked Rex.  
  
'She is the one you look for my lord.' She said,' She will lead us to glory, but only if we get their first. '  
  
Rex jumped up. 'I heard them talking, they have already set off!'  
  
'Yes my darling, but the Ash boy made our Kathaerdous ill. We must wait until she is stronger, or we may never know for sure.'  
  
'How long must we wait?' asked Rex, 'I must know Ebony, darling, I must know how long I must wait before I can make us king and Queen.'  
  
Ebony looked at him, 'My Lord, I would say two weeks, but I cannot be sure. Patient's is a virtue.'  
  
Rex stood up, and walked to Ebony slowly, holding out his palm. Ebony did the same. As their palms met, they kissed. 'I would wait another aeon for my princess.' He said, and kissed her again. Soon the kiss turned sexual, and as Rex stroked her long black hair, he knew that they would be forever parted, until the Kathaerdous was able to join them, and separate him from the past.  
  
He felt himself and Ebony become one. Finally, he could connect with her.  
  
_______________________________________  
  
Well, chapter 12 is over for another however long it takes me to write the next chapter. I hope you like it, and don't forget that no one wins when they take part in a butter eating competition.  
  
Mmmmmmmmmm butter. 


	13. 16 years too late

Chapter 13- 16 years too late.  
  
Okay, this chapter is sort of silly, but it does have stuff relevant to the plot in it. Rex and Ebony turn up, claiming to be Amethyst's parents.  
  
Chapter thirteen and something bad happens. Yes, 13 is an unlucky number!  
  
That really sums it up, so I hope you enjoy! Just a note that I have to say, all characters talk with English accents, unless otherwise stated, (e.g. Pippin does have a Scottish accent and so on) _______________________________________  
  
It was two weeks before Frodo allowed Amethyst out to play. He spent nearly all of every day with her, making sure she was happy and comfortable. He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice.  
  
The first three day's for him they were near agony. Amethyst seemed very confused, continually seeing strange things, like a purple eyed bird, or the figure of a black eyed elf in the hole, as the fever got worse. Frodo at times had to get into the bed with her to convince her that they weren't there, but part of her fever.  
  
Amethyst had seemed not to change, until the forth day when she laughed. Frodo at the time had been talking to her about nothing, but something he had said amused her, and he could feel himself tingle with excitement to hear her laugh again. It was like the feeling of rain in the middle of a hot summer, or a fire on a cold night. Frodo knew his daughter inside out, but he now was learning to regret the times he had been working instead of playing with her.  
  
Frodo knew that parents, no matter how dull or plain their child was, would always think that their child was the best thing on middle earth, but he now knew that Amethyst was more than just a child who was occasionally a nuisance to him. She was one of the many pleasures that life could bring him.  
  
He knew that she wasn't his child biologically, but he hopped secretly that this time would never end and her parents would never appear. He was beginning to understand what people meant by the joy of parenthood.  
  
She had been around for sixteen years, and still she could shock him and enthral him. Frodo didn't regret taking her in for a moment. She was more beautiful and cleaver than Sam's children, in his opinion. But that was probably because he didn't know much about children, except Amethyst.  
  
Sam, poor thing, had gone into overdrive to cope with all the work, with Frodo's child ill and all, and coped very well, as Frodo, for one time as is career as Mayor, took things easy.  
  
Amethyst was nearly completely health, with nothing but a little cough to show for it. So, as the long winter nights were drawing in fast, Frodo made sure that Amethyst was well wrapped up before she left, helping her with the warm cloak around her shoulders.  
  
'Dad-ad!' she said, 'I'm fine! You don't need to dress me up like this!'  
  
' I'm not risking it,' he said with one of his grins, 'you've only just recovered, and I'm not having you ill like that again.' he adjusted the cloak again. He finished, and hugged her tight. She hugged him back, and he smiled. 'Now, be good.' He said, with the grin of someone how knew that she wouldn't be good.  
  
'I will' she said, and ran out.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile Rose helped to prepare Elanor and Frodo to go out. Rose was heavy with child, the stomach bulging in the maternity dress she wore. Occasionally she could feel something kick and it did now as she tried to put the broach on for Elanor. 'Mu-um!' said Elanor, 'I'm fine!'  
  
' Maybe now, but I'm not having you get ill like poor Amethyst. ' Rose had been told in so many words to stay away from her. Whatever she had might have been contagious, and if Rose had caught it.It didn't bear thinking about.  
  
As Rose had turned her attentions to Elanor, Young Frodo tried to sneak out without being caught and forced to wear a cloak.  
  
'Frodo Gamgee!' said Rose before he could leave, 'Where do you think you're going?'  
  
'Out mum.' He said.  
  
'You can go out when you've got your cloak on, and not a moment before. ' She turned her attention from Elanor and slipped a cloak over his shoulders. Young Frodo sighed and buckled the broach around his neck.  
  
'Now you can go out to play but remember, be back for lunch!' said Rose as the two children ran out of the house.  
  
Outside they met Amethyst, waiting on a wall for the two children. 'Hey Frodo,' she said, 'I haven't seen you for a bit.'  
  
'You better Amy?' he asked.  
  
'Yeah, I just had a fever. That's all.' She said, jumping off the wall, 'Now, what shall we do?' she asked.  
  
'I know!' said Elanor, ' We should go on an adventure to a troll's cave!' she said.  
  
Amethyst felt tired for some reason, as if she hadn't had enough to eat, even though she had a very large breakfast. She smiled though, and said, 'So, this troll, I think he lives in a thief's den! The den is that way!' she said, pointing at an old pit about half a mile away.  
  
Amethyst, as well as the other children did not know the story of how this pit was created, but in fact it had been made when one of Saruman's mill's had been pulled down. The memory of the pit was still fresh in everyone's minds, making them warn children not to go and play their. In consequence it was the place where most children went to play in absence of being able to play in the forest, or farmer's fields.  
  
So, the children left, running as fast as they could, the morning still young as to be played in. The sun was up, and the sounds of children laughing came from the pit, before too long.  
  
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At bag end, the young servant girl went to answer the door. Rose was now getting quiet far on in pregnancy, and would quiet soon give birth. Nerves where up in Bag ends with Miss Amethyst ill, but this.. Although the many children at bag end were quiet unaware, Mr Frodo and Mr Sam where both quiet stressed, and spent most of their time working in the office at the other end of the house.  
  
The bell rang continually, as if someone was pulling on it just for fun. Well, though the girl, if it's some children ginger knocking, they'll be in big.She opened the door.  
  
Two Hobbits stood there. They were tall, by hobbit standards, at least half an inch taller than Mr Meriadoc and Mr Peregrine. The hobbit lady had dark black hair, like that of jet stone, and strangely black eyes. She had seen black eyes before, but they were just a dark brown. This eyes where black as coal or like the sky on a moonless night.  
  
The gentlehobbit on the other hand.. His hair was fair, a sort of light grey, and looked quiet respectable. Well, until you saw his eyes. His eyes were purple. They weren't as purple as Amethysts, more of a pinkie purple, but the servant girl now had some idea of what they were about to say.  
  
'Excuse me?' asked the gentlehobbit in an accent she couldn't quiet place, 'We would like to talk to Mr Baggins, Mr Frodo Baggins.'  
  
________________________________________  
  
'Mr Frodo, ' said the purple eyed hobbit, 'I'm so glad we could find you. We had to ask around and we searched every place from here to Bree to find out where our little Amethyst had gone.'  
  
Frodo sat there, letting their story of how they lost Amethyst rush over him. He felt almost as if he was drowning in it. He didn't know what to say. These people had turned up, and claimed to be her parents. Was this real? Had they really left their child for sixteen years? The hobbit lass didn't look like she had even seen a baby before in her life.  
  
'Oh, my poor Amethyst, is she all right?' asked the black-eyed hobbit, 'I wasn't sure about leaving her and all, but it was all I could think of doing. I mean, I had lost Rex and I though I'd never..' She burst out crying, and the purple-eyed hobbit comforted her. 'It's all right Ebony, she's safe now.'  
  
The hobbit lass seemed to stop crying automatically, and sat up straight, sipping on a cup of tea.  
  
'Well, you see Mr Baggins, we though we would never find her again, not after Sharkey had burned out our hole, and we had to flee from this place. ' The purple eyed hobbit lent forward, 'I really didn't want to leave her Mr Baggins, just we were scared, for our own life, and her's. We though if we left her in the hole, some kind soul would find her, and look after her.' He wiped a tear from his eye, 'A day has not pasted since we left her on which I have not though of her. '  
  
'I have to admit, Mr.'  
  
'Rex, Rex Hildigard. '  
  
'Mr Hildigard,' continued Frodo,' You did leave her, and when I found her she was no-one's child. I suppose I had the good fortune to see her grow up, but I find it hard to believe that you did not come back before now.'  
  
'Oh, Mr Baggins, ' said Ebony,' We fled very far away, and we did not hear of the end of the war until recently. When we heard of it, we rejoiced, and then went on the search for our child. You wouldn't deny us our own flesh and blood, after sixteen years of torture, would you?'  
  
Frodo was not convinced, but somehow the story was believable. 'Well, Mr and Mrs Hildigard, you are asking me to give up a child I have looked after for sixteen years. This is a difficult decision. '  
  
'Well, Mr Baggins, ' said Rex, a little out of character, 'You will find that most people would support our opinion. You see we are her parents, while you are just her guardian. We are more likely to have her best interests at heart then you. '  
  
'I think this is Amethyst's decision. ' Said Frodo, 'She may want to stay with me.'  
  
'Mr Baggins, you seem to think that we'll break off all contact from you,' said Ebony with a little laugh, 'But we would like to encourage you two to stay close. It is only fare..'  
  
Frodo sighed. He was defeated. 'You might wish to stay here for a few days.' he started, 'It is the least I can do.'  
  
__________________________________  
  
So, Amethyst Elanor and Frodo lad returned to Bag end for lunch. This had the effect of not making them want to be too far from the hole, but in response, it did mean that they got twice as dirty, almost to make up for it. Amethyst's long ringleted hair was windswept, like the wind had combed it with long sticky fingers, covered in treacle. She had managed to get covered in a dry dust, as Elanor and Frodo-lad had managed.  
  
Coming in, Rose almost had a heart attack. She knew of the events of the morning at bag end, even if the children didn't.  
  
'Amethyst, Look at you! ' She almost screamed, 'Got change and wash before lunch!'  
  
'Why?' she asked. It was usual in the household to be covered in mud or suchlike at a meal. It had come about for at least three reasons. The first was that Sam, when he didn't have any work to do, often went to tinker in the garden, and as a result, would get quiet messy. Frodo himself didn't help, as he would often join Sam, in an effort to learn about the garden, and would be in more of a mess than Sam. Amethyst giggled at the memory as she pulled off her dress to have a wash.  
  
The second reason was that Herself and the Gamgee children where as bad as their fathers when it came to muck and grime, and children where natural grime magnets anyway. So, it had been reasoned that if they were going to be dirty, they might as well be dirty in peace.  
  
The third reason was because the hole was actually quiet informal by normal standards, and this just made things more interesting.  
  
So, as she was clean and ready, she wondered why she had to be. She went to the lunch table, and sat down next to Elanor and Frodo-Lad. Across the table from her, two hobbits she had never seen before sat. One had purple eyes. She had to do a double take. She had never seen anyone like that before, outside a mirror. Inside a mirror, it was still an unusual sight.  
  
The hobbit lady, well, her eyes were as black as pitch. Her long, straight hair fell over her shoulders in a way that Amethyst envied.  
  
She looked to her father. He had just walked in. He looked at the hobbits with a sort of envy, maybe a little sadness, and then looked at Amethyst. She looked at him, not understanding.  
  
'Daddy, who are these people?' she asked.  
  
Frodo smiled brittley, 'Amethyst, they are your parents.'  
  
________________________________  
  
So, everything was right with the world, though Amethyst, this is what I really wanted. So why does this feel so wrong? It was about three in the morning, and Amethyst had not slept a wink. Elanor had moved back into her room, after much irritation of having to share with Frodo-lad.  
  
Amethyst listened to the gentle breathing, trying not to think about the day's events. So, about this time three weeks ago, she had wished to meet her real parents, and have them take her away from the lie that her life was. So why didn't it feel right? Why couldn't Amethyst see a happy ending? She though she should have felt more overjoyed at going with her real parents, and having a happy ending. But Amethyst couldn't see a happy ending.  
  
She had spent quiet a few hours with them, and couldn't really say she loved them. She probably should have loved them instantly, but she couldn't help getting the feeling that they weren't quiet right.  
  
They had come with toys for her, lots of toy's to play with. Many of them were quality Dwarf made things, although, she conceded, non of them better than the one's her Dad had given her, all though he wasn't her dad. They had been insistent of leaving the hole with her, but Daddy, or Uncle Frodo, or whatever she was meant to call him, hadn't let her out of his sight.  
  
She didn't like her mother at all. She had black, terrible eyes, which made Amethyst shake in fear. She looked like a wolf, and the predatory look on her face made Amethyst hate her. And her laugh, braying enough to saw down the tallest trees in middle earth with no trouble, and grated along her soul like fingernails desperately clawing at her skin.  
  
Her father, real father, was better. He seemed kind enough and rather patient with both her and his wife. Her mother. She found him better company than her mother, but.there was still something wrong. It didn't feel right.  
  
What was she thinking? She couldn't hate her parents. It was wrong. They might not be what she had expected, but they were part of her, so she couldn't hate them.  
  
Well, after her parents had retired to their room, she did not see them again. Frodo had tucked her and Elanor in, and at their insistence, had sung them a song. It was the one about the cow jumping over the moon and the dish running away with the spoon. Amethyst couldn't believe that they wouldn't want to see her off to bed.  
  
Maybe they just wanted to reclaim her, like some old baggage, rather than want her as a daughter. That would explain things a lot more, but something was not quiet right. She felt that they desperately wanted her, but not in a way she would have liked.  
  
They were practically bribing her and telling her about a wonderful place that they were going to take her. They told her about how well respected they were, and how influential. They asked her if she knew how to read, and she did, and asked lots of strange questions, such as if her eyes ever burned, or if any wonderful but strange things had happened around her. When she had answered truthfully, they smiled and laughed and seemed very pleased with themselves, but gave her no explanation.  
  
Amethyst couldn't sleep. She got up, and walked to the kitchen. She couldn't sleep like this, not just thinking about these parents.  
  
'You couldn't sleep either?' she turned around. There was a dark figure sitting at the table. She couldn't see it properly, but she instantly recognised the voice.  
  
'Mr Gamgee?' she asked.  
  
'Amethyst?' he asked. There was a fumbling, and a candle on the table was lit. The flickering tiny light lighted up his face. He squinted through the flame to look at her.  
  
'Amethyst, it's three in the morning, what are you doing up?'  
  
Amethyst pulled up a chair. 'Couldn't sleep.' She said simply.  
  
'Excited, were you, about finding your real parents?' he asked, 'A bit like a dream come true for you.'  
  
'No, not really.' She said, 'I never though that it would be that easy. Why are you up?' she asked, changing the subject, 'I though that you would want to be asleep, Y'know, work and all.'  
  
Sam sighed, and gave her a small smile. 'I got kicked out of bed by Rose.'  
  
Amethyst couldn't resist a little laugh. 'Really? What were you doing?'  
  
'Nothin', but 'cause the baby's due in a month or so, she's starting to need a little more room that usual. ' Amethyst nodded. This sort of conversation was usual, and the truth not hidden. This would be the ninth time Rose was pregnant, and the sight of her during pregnancy wasn't unusual.  
  
' Sam, ' she asked, 'what are you going to call it?'  
  
'I don't know Amy. Depends on what it is. If it's a boy we were planning on calling it Bilbo, after old Mr Bilbo, who lived here before your time. '  
  
'What if it's a girl?' she asked.  
  
'Well, we'll find a name for her somehow.' Sam laughed quietly. 'The hole's going to be different with you gone Amethyst. We wouldn't be up at this time of night talking about names for one thing.'  
  
Amethyst let out a chuckle. 'I don't know whether I'll leave or not Sam, I haven't decided yet.'  
  
Sam looked her seriously in the face, 'I think you'll go, even if you don't want to. But things around here will be very different. Elanor and Frodo- lad were mucking up the garden mostly without you there to entertain them. They missed you.'  
  
'Really?' she asked.  
  
'Yes. They were comin' up to me, an' asking, "When will Amy be better" and I couldn't tell them. It's always been like that, even when you left to visit Buckland. '  
  
Amethyst nodded, and sighed. 'I don't know what to do Sam. I'm sorry to put this on you, but I don't want to leave bag end. I don't want to go with my parents, but everyone wants me to.'  
  
'Mr Frodo doesn't Amethyst, ' he replied, 'And neither do Elle or Frodo- lad. I don't really to be honest, and I don't even think Rose does either. But then, we don't understand your kind. I think that whatever hobbits yous are, your parents will know more about you and whatever power you posses.'  
  
'I didn't even know what I was doing at the time.' She said, 'I was scared Sam, It was like I could control everything, except myself. That is one of the scariest things in the world. '  
  
Sam nodded. 'Maybe we should go back to bed.' He said with a yawn,' I'm pretty tired as it is, and you need to be up for tomorrow.'  
  
'Yes.' Said Amethyst hollowly, 'But you are twice as wise as your name would suggest.' She smiled at him.  
  
Sam smiled back and walked off to bed, while Amethyst walked to her parent's room, just to find out if they were asleep. When she got there, she found that they slept soundly, on the floor? This puzzled Amethyst. On the floor? Why would anyone sleep on the floor? Both of the, seemed to have been stretched, as if they had suddenly grown to six foot.  
  
Amethyst ran out. It couldn't be true. They couldn't be like that! She looked in again. They were asleep in the bed. Amethyst shook her head. It must have just been her imagination. She went back to bed, but didn't sleep for an hour.  
  
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'Gandalf?' Gandalf looked around. It was the young servant girl again. He was in the city of Minas Tirith again, looking through the scrolls. There must be something on unusual powers, there must be! He finished his goblet of wine, and gave it to the girl.  
  
She smiled sweetly, and turned around to leave, when he sighed. 'What alies you master Gandalf so, for you to sigh like that?' she asked.  
  
'I cannot find what I'm looking for. I search for knowledge of the spirits of the world, and it seems no one knows of them.' Gandalf, if he had been that sort of person, would have thrown a scroll across the room, but he didn't. The girl stood next to him.  
  
'Spirits? Do you mean like Nymphs sir?' She asked with interest, 'Or like the people even before the elves and ainur?  
  
'Both.' Said Gandalf.  
  
'Well, sir, begging your pardon, you might find out more from the people themselves rather than books. I'm afraid that these people were not much on writing down things. They preferred to help other species that sit down and write it all out.'  
  
Gandalf smiled. 'How does a servant girl know of such things?'  
  
'Oh, a girl picks thing up, working in a place like this.' She said with a little laugh.  
  
Gandalf went back to the scrolls when the girl put her hand on his shoulder. He turned around again, expecting her to ask him something on what he was looking for when he saw her face. It was somewhere between terror and seriousness, and she didn't look as if she were to ask a question.  
  
'Master Gandalf, I know what you seek. You do not know me, but trust me, I can tell you almost anything you want.'  
  
Gandalf was about to open his mouth when she said, 'Amethyst is the one they look for. It is true that she is no ordinary hobbit. They are coming for her. Gandalf, you must return to the Shire, and swiftly. I fear that I may be too late already.'  
  
She turned around and up the stairs of the library.  
  
'Wait!' Gandalf shouted, 'I must know more!' but she did not stop. He ran after her, but could not keep up. She ran outside, as did Gandalf, and jumped onto a horse. It reared, and then galloped through the city. Gandalf jumped onto Shadowfax, and followed her, the horse gaining on her.  
  
As Gandalf gained on her she looked forward, and pushed a pair of spurs further into the horse's side.  
  
'You cannot win against me young girl!' he shouted.  
  
The girl didn't listen. The beautiful Brown horse suddenly stopped. A bolt of purple-red lightening hit it, and the rider, making it jolt and shake. The girl screamed a terrible scream, and as the lightening left her. She fell off the horse and lay on the ground, panting for breath as her frizzled body fought a losing battle. A shadow passed over her body, like a cloud, and Gandalf and a street full of people watched as the cloud passed over her, sucked at her chest until the skin came off, and entered her body.  
  
She panicked, but unable to scream or move, she lay there, waiting for the inevitable. She gurgled, as if her own blood was drowning her lungs, and waited as the shadow reached her heart, like a poison. She breathed in, blood and spit drowning her every word. 'GANDALF!' she said in a whisper that carried across the city, 'Return to the shire.must get there before.. to late.Amethyst..them'  
  
Gandalf rushed to her side. 'Who are looking for the girl!' he said, trying to get her to speak.  
  
'Rex. ' She coughed out, 'Return.. Stop Ebony and Re..'She didn't finish the sentence, and never would.  
  
'Who are Ebony and REX!' he said, shaking the lifeless body, 'Who are they?' but no answer came, and never would. She was dead. The bright, shinning Brown eyes, like tree bark stared back at him, never to look again. But he looked deeper into the eyes. The thing her saw was a pair of purple-red eyed looking back at him, making him shiver.  
  
Gandalf left the body, and rode on, leaving the city.  
  
________________________________  
  
'Wake up willow.' Said a little boy to the corpse. Most people would have been worries about the sight, but he stood there, over the corpse. His face was a deathly white, like that of a corpse, his lips a light pink. His hair was white, not light blonde, but pure white, like that of an old man. He wore a white gown, like a christening gown, but not one. It was simple, but somehow seemed grand.  
  
The world around them slowed down, going grey and lifeless. A light covered the corpse and the boy, as he waited for something.  
  
The corpse opened its eyes, and it sat up. Or more precisely it opened its eyes and something sat up.  
  
'Gandalf! Amethyst! What happened?' the ghost shouted.  
  
'Don't worry willow,' said the little boy, 'Amethyst is fine, and I would know if she wasn't. Gandalf has left for the Shire, but the matter of Rex and Ebony is less certain. They got their first.'  
  
'Damn!' said the ghost of Willow, 'Now there is no hope. Amethyst will go with them, or they will force her to go with them. There is nothing I can do, and my death was in vain!' she folded her arms and stared at the boy.  
  
'I cannot tell you the future, as even I don't know Willow.' Said the little boy neutrally. 'I think you know why I'm here though.'  
  
''Yes.' Said Willow. 'I am dead.' she answered simply. She got up, and the little boy held out his hand for hers. She gave it to him, and he helped her up.  
  
'Will I see my mother in the other place?' asked Willow, 'She died when I was born.'  
  
'Yes.' Said the little boy. 'And anyone else you wish to see. ' They walked off, the bright light dimming down and the world around them going back to the usual colours. As the corpse was taken away, Willow and the little boy walked down the street, and at the end they disappeared, in a flash of light.  
  
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Another note. Willow is a nymph. Just clearing that up for all of us. I don't think I make it quiet clear.  
  
Have a nice day! 


	14. One person leave, and another arrives.

Chapter 14 - One person leave, and another returns  
  
Okay, I can't think of a good summary, but I hope you enjoy and read.  
  
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'So Amethyst, ' said Rex over the breakfast table, 'do you wish to come with us, your true parents?'  
  
Amethyst sat there thinking. She was nearly asleep as it was, and would not be able to judge properly, if it hadn't been for her mind already made up.  
  
'Amethyst, darling, we missed you.' Said Ebony, lying badly, 'and you wouldn't want an incident like at Mr Baggins's party, would you?'  
  
Amethyst looked at her with pure hatred. Ebony knew that she had won. She beamed to herself, and Rex held her hand, squeezing it. Amethyst looked at her with her sullen face and said, 'I know what you would say, and it would sound like wisdom, but for the warning in my heart.'  
  
'Warning?' asked Rex, 'What warning?'  
  
'That you are not all you seem.'  
  
'But what is your decision?' asked Rex, 'I must have an ultimatum today.'  
  
Amethyst sighed, and looked to the window. 'I wish to bid goodbye to my father. I love him, but I cannot risk another outburst. I will leave with you this noon, but I do not wish to go.'  
  
Rex smiled, and hugged her joyfully,' Thank you Amethyst, you will not regret it! We shall rule middle earth with our power, and you shall learn to control it. '  
  
_____________________________  
  
So, about half an hour later, Frodo helped her to pack. He was disappointed, angry and sad, all at the same time. The logic was true and good, but no matter how he told himself how it was, he couldn't stop feeling so bad. Amethyst was helping him, not wanting to be apart from him, but she could feel the recrimination.  
  
'Do you want this?' he asked. It was a rag doll of a hobbit, with black hair and blue eyes. It looked just like him, yet nothing like him, because he didn't want to admit it. Frodo smiled brittely and said, 'I'm going to miss you.'  
  
'I'm going to miss you, but I can't stay here. I can't wait for another accident to happen. ' Then Amethyst sighed, 'it isn't you, it's me, and how I'm a freak. We both knew that something big was going to happen, and it did. Things were fixed a bit, but I can't stay. Memories cannot be erased forever.'  
  
Frodo looked at her as she gave him another dress to fold. He did so and packed it.  
  
'I know I can't make you stay here, being normal, but will you miss us?' he asked.  
  
'Yes.' She said, 'I miss you already. I haven't even gone yet.'  
  
Frodo laughed, 'you are a silly thing!' and hugged her, lifting her up and putting her on his lap. She clung to his neck, and to his surprise, started to cry.  
  
'Hey, what is it Gemstone?' he asked as she cried into his shoulder.  
  
'I do not wish to leave, but I must.' She said through sobs.' Please, forgive me. I can't help being a bad person. You've been so nice to me, so much better than I deserve, and now I leave you like this. Nothing to repay you or anything.'  
  
Frodo stoked her hair and said, 'Amy, that's not true. I'm not like your own father, and I can't replace your parents. It's for the best.' Amethyst held onto the hobbit for dear life.  
  
'I really don't want to leave you.' She said, 'I'm so sorry.'  
  
'Amy, sometimes the best thing is the hardest to do.' Said Frodo.  
  
_______________________________________  
  
'Good bye.' Amethyst hugged Frodo again, as her parents, her real parents, waited for her outside. Her face was while, like a bed sheet as she went to hug Sam before she had to leave.  
  
'Goodbye.' She said to him, and hugged him. Then Frodo, for the last time at Bag end, smiled at her and carried her out. Sam never though that Frodo would have been able to lift a child of her age, as there was barely anything to him, but there was barely anything to Amethyst, so it sort of worked out. Ever since they had destroyed the ring and sorted out sharkeys gang of ruffians, thing had always worked out somehow in Bag End. It had always been that way, for such a long time.  
  
So Sam found himself going from the hall to the study. He didn't want to see.  
  
______________________  
  
'Take care of her for me.' Said Frodo as he helped Amethyst onto the cart. Rex pulled her up and then jumped off himself.  
  
'Mr Baggins, we would like to offer you some money for all the things you must have bough her over the years and all the care you have given her..'  
  
'Please, no..' he started, but Rex insisted, 'I must give you something. A present maybe..'  
  
'No, really.'  
  
'I know! ' Said Rex, clicking his fingers, 'I will give you one of the precious things of our lands and people. ' He fiddled around in his pocket, and then gave something to him, closing Frodo's fingers around it. He then, with the grace of an elf, jumped back onto the cart and pulled the reigns of the horse, which immediately began to trot off, down the road.  
  
Ebony and Amethyst shared the back of the cart, looking back at the village. Amethyst, with tears in her eyes, waved back at him, her heart already sinking. Frodo waved back, and watched as they trotted on, and out of his life.  
  
As the cart became less than a dot on the distance, Frodo suddenly felt cold. Like something inside him had numbed and had left his body cold. His whole body felt stiff, like he couldn't move, as if he never wanted to move again, but would have to.  
  
After a few minutes of watching the road, he moved his head enough to look at his hand. Inside his palm, he saw a little mythril broach encrusted with small perfectly formed jewels. The broach was shaped like a small sword. It was far too small to be of any actual use for cutting things, but the pin came in useful to pin a cloak.  
  
It was strange though, how the blade was sharp enough to cut his hand. He looked at it again and pinned it to his waistcoat. Then, with unnerving speed, he turned around and walked slowly back into the hole. It was surprisingly quiet throughout the whole hole, as the mood of loss and sadness had radiated through him and everything around him.  
  
Frodo walked slowly back to his room, not darting to look anyone he saw in the eyes, no, not even Sam, and retired to his room. When he had locked the door he sat down on the bed, waited a few seconds, listening to the house, and waited, trying not to feel anything.  
  
Then, he let out a small, unnoticed sob. Then, holding his head in a hand sobbed quietly, as he cried for what he knew to be the death of him, and Amethyst.  
  
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'How long until we reach the Shire Legolas?' asked Ash, 'there is something wrong at the Baggins household. '  
  
'Hush Ash!' he said, 'We are only a few days at a leisurely pace. We will be there soon, but we must all rest for a moment, I need to hear of the birds to find out if we are going in the right direction. Anyway, the horses are tired.'  
  
The horses seemed grateful to rest and eat, as they chewed at the grass around them. Myotisis had run on, looking for any signs of food, he said.  
  
Ash closed his eyes, just for a moment, but he felt a sudden rush across his face, similar to a heat rash, but not one. The best was to describe it to someone who had not experienced it before would be an emotion rash, just hotter, and images flickering like a movie screens before his eyes.  
  
He let out a little gasp. Amethyst couldn't communicate to him usually, and probably didn't know she was doing this, but he could feel her loss, her fear and how.cold she felt. How cold and emotionless she felt and how lost she felt.  
  
He saw the face of Ebony braying in a twisted pretence of laugher. He saw Rex leaning over her, smiling, yet threatening her. He saw her crying, wanting to stay with the hobbit she loved so much, yet Ash knew was so unworthy of her, no matter what he had done to save middle earth. His own suffering would go to nothing if Amethyst were given to them. He then saw the image of Frodo, on his bed, crying quietly. Her father crying hard, like she had died.  
  
Like she had died.  
  
That was a nasty image for Ash's mind. He didn't know exactly whether she had or not, but it was an image that made him felt, angry. Angry and sad, and most of all, vengeful.  
  
He opened his eyes. He sat up fast, and said, 'Legolas, we must leave.'  
  
____________________________  
  
Amethyst watched the road as they travelled down it. Her mother had gone to join her father in the front of the cart, but she was not content to be with them. She wanted her father, her own father. Maybe Frodo Baggins's wasn't her real father, but he was the best person she knew. She couldn't get excited about these parents. They didn't seem nice at all, and had left her when she was born, for goodness sakes, in a burned out hole!  
  
She let herself cry, even though she knew she shouldn't. Her parents didn't seem to care, but for some reason she remembered a rhyme that she had heard a long time ago.  
  
Through a few tears, she whispered on the wind..  
  
' The roads goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with weary feet, Until it joins some larger way, Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.'  
  
She looked down the road. It seemed to be like she had left every thing behind. Everything in her whole life behind.  
  
'Right, that's enough.' The cart stopped. Rex looked back, and had seemed to change. No, not seemed, had.  
  
He was no longer a hobbit, but a six foot four man. His clothes had changes slightly and so had Ebony. Ebony was an elf, a tall elf woman of about six- foot, her long black tresses falling down to her waist.  
  
Rex smiled at her. 'Amethyst darling, you are not all that you appear to be. We aren't, and we're your parents.'  
  
Amethyst backed away her eyes widening. 'What are you??' she asked. She tried to run, but she felt herself stop.  
  
'Amethyst, we're you.' He said, ' We're nymph's, like you.' She turned around, and saw them. Images flashed across her mind like a picture show. She saw nymphs, thousands of nymphs being killed, she saw nymphs being persecuted, she saw them being forced to do whatever anyone wanted them to do. She saw them, or more FELT them, performing their magic, and having the power over life and death. She saw them ruling, she saw them being powerful, she saw her parent's place of living, and she saw their life.  
  
Amethyst smiled as her eyes began to burn. She finally knew what she was and where she fitted in. She took their hands, and then without a sound, they appeared next to the castle.  
  
Rex smiled. 'That's my girl!' he said. They had the right one. ' Well done, that was your first magic spell.' He said fondly,' You're growing up before I've even got to know you.' Amethyst let go of Ebony's hand. Rex and Amethyst walked to the castle. Rex knew that this would the start of great things. ______________________________  
  
'Ash, wait!' Legolas and Myotisis had been travelling for two day's now, without stopping to follow the boy. They had reached the Shire now, and the boy who had first of all walking quickly, not caring about them, now broke out into a run. Legolas began to run, and so did Myotisis.  
  
'You don't even know where she lives!' Legolas shouted as he caught up with the boy.  
  
'Yes I do.' Said Ash, 'Bag End.'  
  
As the elf and Nymph's ran past groups of rather astonished hobbits, Legolas tried to asked directions and not get pulled along by the nymphs. Soon they reached a hobbit hole that to Legolas didn't look any different to any other hobbit hole in the Shire to him.  
  
Ash ran down the garden path, jumping over the gate.  
  
'STOP!' shouted Legolas, 'STOP! Where are you going?'.  
  
__________________________  
  
Frodo hadn't left his room for at least two day's now, as he had politely informed Sam that he was having one of his attacks. He had just lie their, looking at his one and only portrait of Amethyst he had done for her when she was ten. It was her, Elanor and Frodo-lad, sitting together, in best clothes, which Frodo had remembered, had been destroyed shortly afterward in a fight by the river. And in the river to be honest.  
  
The Artist had taken one look at her eyes, and asked if he would to have the eye colour painted differently. Frodo had refused flatly, and was glad of it now. It was the only thing he had to remember of her. She sat, in the middle of the three children, smiling faintly, in such a dignified manner, not belonging to a lass of her age..  
  
There was a loud ringing at the doorbell, as someone refused to stop ringing it. Then Frodo remembered that it was the servant girl's day off today, and Sam was out with Rose. Well, he felt almost over his attack now, and he didn't think it could be important. He got up and opened the door, fumbling with the key.  
  
The bell did not stop ringing, and Frodo's ears started to hurt as the bell continually rang. Frodo even picked up the pace to get there.  
  
Frodo opened the door, 'Hello?' he asked, 'What is you buis.'  
  
THWACK!  
  
Frodo felt his body being flung backwards as his head hitting the wall at a high speed. His feet dangled a good foot from the ground. He was being held up by the neck with someone's hand.  
  
'WHERE IS SHE!' shouted a black haired, yellow eyed figure, 'WHERE'S AMETHYST!'  
  
'Ash!' the figure, tightening his grip on Frodo's neck turned around. Legolas stood their, looking in sheer horror, 'Let him go! There is no point bullying hobbits.wait a second. Frodo?'  
  
'Legolas?' asked Frodo as best as he could with Ash's hand around his throat.  
  
Legolas smiled with joy. 'Old friend, how nice to see you again!'  
  
'You know this hobbit?' asked Ash.  
  
'Of course ASH!' said Legolas, laughing, 'He is a very old friend of mine!'  
  
'Err.Legolas?' asked Frodo.  
  
They both looked at him, and Legolas said, 'Oh, Ash.'  
  
Ash let go of him. Frodo fell to the floor with a bump. 'Ow!' he said, as Legolas and Ash seemed to be ignoring him.  
  
'Ash, you shouldn't do that..'  
  
'Well, violence is the only way to get things done around here it seems!' he said.  
  
'Yes, but not to hobbits who have done nothing to you!' Legolas turned around, 'Frodo! ' He said again for effect, 'How are things?'  
  
'Not very good.' Said Frodo, 'but they got worse when this boy (Ash his name?) came and pinned me up to a wall.'  
  
Legolas laughed. 'I must apologise for my young friend, but we must know, what has happened to Amethyst?'  
  
'Amethyst?' asked Frodo, 'How would you know about her?'  
  
'I know Frodo.' Said Ash, 'I am part of her. '  
  
_________________  
  
This was odd, considered Frodo, as he sat around the table, with Legolas, Ash and the other one. All their explanations rushed over his head, but they made sense, sort of. Ash had talked about his time in the travelling performers, and all the stories had been new, but.hadn't Amethyst pretended to have a friend who was an orphan when she was little. To be honest, she didn't have need of an imaginary friend, surrounded by Sam's children, but the imagery she had told him.it was frightening, and in front of him.  
  
He felt.. Short again, short, and stupid. Like he had no idea what was going on, but was at the centre of it. Like when he had the ring.  
  
He had been quiet. Listening to what Legolas and Ash had to say, when the other one interrupted.  
  
'I think we are missing the point. We must now find out what happened to Amethyst.' They all turned to Frodo, 'If she had gone, we can still follow her.'  
  
'Myotisis is right.' Said Legolas, 'We must find out where she has gone. Frodo, where is she?'  
  
Frodo looked Nervous. 'She left two day's ago.' He said, 'Her real parents turned up.'  
  
'Real parents?' asked Ash,' Her mother is in hiding, and her father.Well, he is not to be trust.Oh sweet lord.' His eyes widened. Then, he lent across the table in shock. 'Excuse me, Frodo,' he said, 'Did one of the people that came for her.did he call himself Rex?'  
  
Myotisis gasped. 'Not.Rex. Not him. Please, not him. We have failed. ' he put his face into his hands, and sighed.  
  
'Yes.' Said Frodo sadly, 'It was Rex. And hobbit lass called Ebony. I knew there was something wrong with them!' he said triumphantly, 'They were too tall!'  
  
Ash seemed to grow in anger, but his voice was so calm, it shook. 'You let them take her away?' he said in disbelief.  
  
'Yes.' Said Frodo, 'I had no choice.'  
  
Ash sighed. This was unusual for him, as usually he would have attacked Frodo for doing so, but he didn't. He just sat there, and copied Myotisis. Then he said, 'So we are all doomed. We don't know where she has gone, and we know who she's gone with. We are doomed. There is nothing we can do, but wait for the end to come.'  
  
'The end?' asked Legolas and Frodo together.  
  
'There can't be any end, we stopped it, we destroyed the ring.' Said Frodo,' How can the world end?'  
  
'My Dear Frodo,' said Ash,' I cannot even begin to explain how powerful she is, or me, but I am weak at the moment, not at my full power. You have seen only a fraction of what she can do. A very small fraction.'  
  
'If Ash is right, Mr Frodo,' said Myotisis,' it appears that we have only a short time left. As soon as she knows of her full power, she can either destroy or save all of middle earth. '  
  
'And looking at the company she's been taken by.' said Ash nastily,' the end is inevitable.'  
  
They all looked away. Then, Legolas seemed to have thought of something. 'Is it?' he asked.  
  
'Yes!' said Ash, as if this was the most obvious thing.  
  
'I don't think so Ash. She hasn't been corrupted yet, and it doesn't mean that she will, one hundred percent certain, turn against her adoptive family's morals and go and destroy middle earth. '  
  
He got the look that intellectuals everywhere gave dumb blondes. Then, Frodo said, 'No, she wouldn't. I know she wouldn't. ' Then, he seemed to think. 'Ash, do you know where they would have taken Amethyst?'  
  
'Yes, to the nymph castle, but..'  
  
'Do you know how to get there?' asked Frodo.  
  
'Sort of, yes, but.You've got to be kidding!' said Ash, ' I wouldn't get out alive!'  
  
'But that is where you are wrong Ash,' said Legolas, 'We wouldn't get out there alive.'  
  
'We?' asked Ash surprised.  
  
'I shall go with you Ash, for it is my duty.' Said Legolas, 'And I am as swift as an eagle, and have the endurance that surpasses that of Dwarfs. I have learned basic tracking from Aragorn, and wish for her safety as much as you do Ash. From your description of her, she sounds like quite a beauty. '  
  
'She is, ' interrupted Frodo, 'And I'd rather not have my daughter described like that, thank you very much! She is still very much a child.'  
  
'At sixteen?' asked Ash.  
  
'Yes!' exclaimed Frodo, 'But beauty or not, I shall come with you. I must save my daughter, even if she isn't daughter by blood. '  
  
'If Ash goes, then I must follow.' Said Myotisis, 'I have few skills, and none of the are even half of Ash's power, even now, but I shall help in any way I can.'  
  
'Then we have agreed,' said Frodo, we shall all go.'  
  
At this point, Sam and Rose came bursting through the door. 'It's going to be all right Rose..' He started, 'It's going to be all right..'  
  
Rose was breathing in a way that you could only do when you are in excruciating pain. She had tears going down her face, as she walked in.  
  
'Sam! Rose! Is everything all right?' asked Frodo as he jumped from his place and ran over to her.  
  
'Mr Frodo, you better go, Rose's contractions have started.' Said Sam, 'The babies coming!'  
  
*********  
  
'Poor mite.' Said Rex to himself, 'She's bushed out after today, and she's coming on fine. I don't think that time with the hobbits has harmed her at all.'  
  
He watched her, lying on her new bed in her new bedroom. It was a castle, but he had managed to find some red velvet drapes, and hung them over the walls like tapestries, and all day she had been making picture appear on them, and now it looked like they had been there forever. She had put out a few of her stuffed animals, and dolls, and had been doing magic all day, but something was wrong, Rex could feel it. She was talented, it had taken Rex years to learn what Amethyst had taken minutes to learn, but he couldn't feel her actually enjoying it. Not yet.  
  
Night and Day where different here. It was whenever you wished for it, as the nymph's had taken control, and Amethyst had been able to plunge the whole castle into darkness without even trying. Then, she had retired to her room, and gone to sleep, without even wishing him a good night.  
  
Well, he though, I might as well tuck her in. He walked in, and took the bed sheets, and put them over her. He noticed as he looked over her, that she had grown up. Not in the sense of UP, but something about her face.. It seemed older, more human. Without any hobbits around, she had no need to look like one. She was turning nymph.  
  
Rex left, and walked out into Ebony. 'Rex, will you play with me?' she asked, 'No one's played with me all day. '  
  
'No Ebony, I have no time.' Said Rex. He swished his cloak and walked off. Ebony suddenly realised that things would change. She hadn't been played with for at least two days now, the other nymphs didn't want to make her please, rather they would be sent to.. HER room and they would come out again, and talk hurriedly to Rex, about he would nod and they would agree on what she was.  
  
Ebony couldn't see the point. Ebony was far more powerful than she was. She could see the future. Ebony started to see the future. Unless Amethyst's was shortened, Ebony's future wasn't long.  
  
Ebony knew what she had to do. She waited until everyone had gone to sleep..  
  
Rain, Rain, go away, Ebony has come out to  
  
Play..  
  
Amethyst lye asleep, trying out something she knew she could do. She went back to the Shire. It was day, which was surprising to her, and nothing had changed, except her. Then, she reached bag end..  
  
**********  
  
Thanks for rwading. Bye!! 


	15. Primroses and Shooting Stars

Chapter 15 - Primroses and Stars.  
  
Hello. Chapter 15 is up, and soon. The title is a little odd, but it does have relevance. I promise. Anyway, at the end of this story, I'll put up some notes on the story, but feel free to mail me about this story, or any others.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except my body.err, I think I sold that to medical science.oh well. I own it for now.  
  
**********  
  
'Breath Rose, Just breath.' Sam held her hand, as Legolas, (who swore he knew about giving birth) with Myotisis, (Who swore he was a heeler) was preparing some towels and other things, which somehow Myotisis and Ash had made appear. This was odd to say the least, as elves' coming into the Shire was rare enough, and it was never heard of to have a prince, and old friend, turn up as well. And on the same day your ninth child came into the world?.. Well, that just never happened.  
  
'Come on Rose..' Said Frodo; 'You can do this.It's not the first time.'  
  
'Shut up you..' Shouted Rose as another contraction came.  
  
'All right..' Said Legolas as he prepared himself for the process, 'Don't panic, this birth may be a little difficult..'  
  
'Difficult?' asked Sam.  
  
'Well, quite difficult. The baby's just a little early.'  
  
'She wasn't mean to give birth for another two weeks! At the least!' said Sam, 'Is she going to be all right?'  
  
'I hope so.' Said Myotisis, 'But she has all the chances of surviving.' He looked away.  
  
'What is it?' asked Frodo. Legolas looked away. ' Please tell us Legolas.' Said Frodo; 'It's the baby, isn't it?'  
  
He didn't say a thing, but said to Rose, 'Rose, just push..'  
  
Rose screamed as another contraction came. They had never been as painful as this. None of the children had been as painful as this. She screamed as another contraction came. She wasn't there; she was just waiting as her body began to give up on her, as she tried to give birth.  
  
She could feel her body, yet it wasn't real. It was as if she wasn't really there. Everything started to go distorted. The voices around her seemed to fade away, and she started to scream as another contraction came. "PUSH, PUSH, PUSH!" she heard, as she screamed out in pain.  
  
She felt as if she was about to die. Her and her child. She couldn't stand the pain. She looked over at Ash, Frodo and Myotisis as they left the room, while Legolas shouted something to them in elfish.  
  
She was so glad that she couldn't understand. Sam stayed though, even though they seemed to know what he had said. Sam griped her hand. It was conforting, his hand in hers, like a stick to grip onto. He smiled at her, and somehow she could believe that everything would be all right.  
  
Another lasso of pain whipped around her hips. She hollered, squeezing Sam's hand in the agony she was in. Her eyes where shut tightly. She opened them, and saw a sight that would have made her scream if he hadn't been too tired to scream like that.  
  
A figure in a long course robe walked in, * through the wall * Right through it, no mistaking, but the figure looked.. Ghostly, as if it wasn't really there. It was about as tall as Legolas, but a slimmer figure. More feminine, more delicate.  
  
I'm going to die, she though, my baby and I are going to die. That's death there. I'm dead. She sobbed out loud, unaware of even doing so. Sam pushed her head back, hushing her quiet.  
  
As the figure glided closer to her, it removed its hood. The face was as pale as snow, tear stained, and young. About that of a 33-year-old, Rose guessed, with long, black lashes that blinked at her slowly. The lips were full, red like blood. Rose squeaked to look at her, until she saw the eyes. The purple eyes that sparkled at her, and made her think of someone. But it couldn't be the same person.. This person had long dark red hair, straight and combed back. This person looked human, mostly.  
  
They raised a finger to their lips, and walking through Legolas, said, *Shh. *  
  
Rose quietened. She swore she recognised the figure.but she didn't. She let out a small cry of pain, and the figure placed its hands on Rose's hips, and.  
  
'Push Rose, Push.' urged Legolas, 'Well done, you're almost there!'  
  
Rose could feel the pain becoming less intense as the figure stood there, holding her. It felt as if she was doing some of the pushing as well.  
  
She was pushing and pushing, screaming in fear, if not a little in pain, when she felt her body part.  
  
The world was no longer distorted, as she felt everything going back to normal, and Sam squeeze her hand. She saw his smiled, she saw the relief on his face, she saw him glad, just to have her alive. He didn't lean over and hug her though, and Rose was glad.  
  
A whimper of delight escaped her exhausted body. She didn't watch while Legolas tried to get the baby to breathe. Sam was delighted just to see her alive. Then, as he looked her in the face, he burst into tears.  
  
'I'm sorry Rose.' He said between sobs, 'I'm sorry, I'm so happy!' he kissed her. She kissed him back. She looked up, as she saw the figure standing next to Legolas with her hand on the baby's chest, and her lips on that of the baby's. It looked as if she was helping it breathe, like it was breathing air into the lungs of the baby. Legolas seemed to be more relieved at every breath the figure put into the body, and finally, the figure broke away, and waved at her.  
  
It disappeared, like dust in the sunrays. Rose gasped, as the baby started to scream. Legolas allowed Rose to take the child. 'Well done Rose.' Said Legolas, 'It's a healthy little girl.'  
  
Rose smiled. 'She's so beautiful.' She said, 'She's go our Sam's nose.' She said, as she stared at it.  
  
Sam smiled at the baby as well. 'Luck that's all she's got of me.' He said, 'Luck all our children turned out nice.'  
  
Rose saw the child, and though, she is beautiful, she's perfect, but there's something not quiet right. It wasn't the face, or the body or the eyes, no, nothing like that. It was something about the child. Something about it made it beautiful. Something radiated off it, making anyone feel her presence.  
  
'What are you going to call her?' asked Sam, 'It should be something beautiful, like a flower. '  
  
Rose suddenly came up with a name. 'What about the name of Mr Frodo's mother?' she didn't know why she though about that, but she did.  
  
'It was Primrose or summit, wasn't it?' said Sam. Rose looked at the baby. It suited her. It was sort of official now. Primrose.  
  
**********  
  
Amethyst woke up to find Ebony leaning over her with a knife. She blinked, as she tried to comprehend what was going on. The black eyes where full of a mad malice. As the knife started to descent towards her, she screamed.  
  
With that, Ebony flew across the room, and hit the wall with a horrible CRUNCH!  
  
Rex ran in, still dressed in his day clothes. 'What it is?' he asked, 'Amethyst, are you all right?' He knelt down beside her, and hugged her. Amethyst was a little shaken, but she wasn't frightened enough to cry.  
  
She looked at Ebony as she stood up and shouted. 'Punish her! She hurt your princess!'  
  
'Ebony! What have I told you about doing that!' said Rex, 'You are only allowed to play with those who I say you can!'  
  
'Play?' asked Amethyst. 'She was over my bed with a knife!'  
  
Ebony ignored her. 'Who are you to say what I can and can't do! I'm more powerful than she is! I can see the future! You don't want me angry, do you!'  
  
'No Ebony,' said Rex, 'But this is too much. Go to your room! Go to your room, and don't come out until you've though about what you have done!'  
  
Ebony snarled at both of them, and threw the knife at Amethyst, which she quickly dodged. 'I HATE YOU AMETHYST!' she screamed at the top of her voice, 'I HATE YOU! ' Suddenly, in a passion, Ebony threw herself at the walls and brought down the velvet drapes with all the patterns on them to the ground.  
  
She stamped on them and shouted, 'I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!' Tears came in to her eyes. 'REX! I THOUGH YOU LOVE ME' she screamed at him, 'I HATE YOU!'  
  
Rex strode over to her and grabbed her by the arms, pinning them to her body, 'Ebony, stop it! You'll hurt yourself!'  
  
Ebony screeched an ear-piercing screech that was alien to her small frame. The very sound made Rex drop to the floor and cover his ears.  
  
'It's starting.' he shouted, 'get out Amethyst! GO!'  
  
Amethyst didn't move. not even when Ebony started to levitate and her fingers grew long, with her fingernails, turning black. Ebony screamed and started to shake.  
  
Amethyst felt the building start to shake, and dust and stone start to tumble down. She sat where she was and she felt her eyes burning.they had been burning all day, but now they burned worse.  
  
She felt something come over her, to protect her. She noticed that over her and Rex, nothing fell. Rex looked up from where he was, and noticed that also. He looked over at Amethyst. Her eyes shone with a determination he hadn't seen all day, as she sat, waiting for Ebony to stop.  
  
Ebony suddenly fell to the floor in rage, hitting it with her fists. She looked up. Her eyes turned black all over, not just the pupil or white, or iris, but all of it.  
  
Amethyst didn't scream, but shot a bolt of purple light at her, and at the same time, forcing her down.  
  
Ebony screamed as the light became more and more intense, shinning on her. 'NO!' she screamed, 'STOP IT! YOU'RE hurting ME! '  
  
Amethyst stopped. The blackness had left Ebony's eyes. She looked up, and got up. She was shaking as she walked slowly out of the room. Rex let her go, but did not follow her. He walked over to Amethyst, as she slumped back into bed.  
  
'Are you all right Amethyst?' he asked, 'Anything you want, her gone from here, you just say the word and she's gone.'  
  
Amethyst looked at him. 'I want to go back to Bag End.'  
  
Rex sighed. 'Sorry darling, but you made your choice. You can't go back, Y'know. It'd just make you look ungrateful. I mean, Look.' Rex clicked his fingers and a basin appeared on a table next to the bed, with a jug of water. 'Look into the water, tell me what you see.'  
  
He poured the water in and looked over it. 'Go on, ' he encouraged, 'have a look. It's all in the Shire, the place you want to be.'  
  
She looked cautiously into the water.  
  
' What can you see?' asked Rex.  
  
'I can see.. Sam and Rose! Sam and Rose's new baby! It's beautiful! It's survived! And Dad.Mr Baggins.he's holding it! It's so sweet. I wish I could be there to see it.'  
  
Rex could see that this mirror trick wasn't working. He then said, 'Look closer. '  
  
Amethyst saw..'They've forgotten all about me.' She said, 'It's only a year later, and dad's throwing out my picture! He doesn't even seem to mind! Goldilocks and Elanor are sharing a room! '  
  
'You can't even here what they're saying, ' said Rex, 'Listen closer.'  
  
Amethyst's ear was practically on the water, when she heard, 'Who was this portrait of, anyway?' asked Sam.  
  
Amethyst drew away from the mirror. She looked sadly at Rex and said, 'You're not my real dad, are you? I'm still not with my parents, am I?'  
  
Rex looked at her. 'Do you want the good news or the bad news first?'  
  
Amethyst looked as if she was about to cry.  
  
'Well, ' said Rex, 'Ebony isn't your mother, but I am your father.'  
  
'You are?' she asked.  
  
'Really.' Said Rex.  
  
'Really really.' Asked Amethyst.  
  
'Really really.' said Rex, 'I don't know what happened to your mother, she wasn't all that stable to tell the truth, but I suppose she didn't want me to have you. I don't know why, I would have made a better job of you than you adoptive parents did, I can say that. ' Amethyst started to feel ashamed. 'Not that, you're perfect, but you've been repressed for so, so, long. Your mother was half-crazy when she left you in the Shire and I've been trying to track you down ever since.'  
  
Amethyst didn't believe him. * Amy, Believe me * he though to her, * I mean It. Never again shall you ever have to pretend to be something you're not, And I will always have time for you. There is nothing more important to me than you. *  
  
*Are you sure. * said Amethyst, over though space sceptically.  
  
Rex smiled at her. * Yes, I'm sure moppet. * He ruffled her curls, * And you seem to get smarter and smarter every day! I mean, you've learned to use though space! * He lent over and hugged her. *I'm so proud of you my little Amethyst! *  
  
Rex tucked her in, and lent over to kiss her on the forehead. 'G'night Amy.' He said aloud, 'Get to sleep as fast as you can, so tomorrow gets here faster.'  
  
AS Rex walked out, Amethyst though, *G'night.dad. *  
  
Rex smiled, and walked out.  
  
__________  
  
  
  
'I can't wait a day longer!' said Ash. 'We've been waiting for Frodo for a good two day's now! '  
  
'Ash, Ash, Ash..' Said Myotisis, 'This child is quite important to Frodo, it is his friends ninth child. Legolas will talk to him later. We will leave in the next two days. '  
  
'Two more days! We can't wait a moment longer! I can't see what they're doing to Amethyst, I don't know if she's all right, or if they are torturing her..'  
  
'Calm down Ash!' said Myotisis, 'I'm sure they aren't hurting her. She is to precious to them. They wouldn't want her harmed.'  
  
'Well, I don't care. I'm going to pack some things we might need. ' Ash got up and took one of the rucksacks that Frodo had foolishly said that they could use.  
  
  
  
Legolas meanwhile was with Frodo in his room. 'I mean, why haven't I heard from you for the past fifteen years? Not even Gandalf's seen you! '  
  
Frodo sighed, 'I can't explain, but I though, maybe if I hid from all of you, maybe, maybe it wouldn't have happened. As far as everyone in the Shire is concerned, I went away for a year with Samwise, Pippin and Merry, came back and went mad. No one really understands what happened to me and Samwise during that time in Mordor. Sam knows everything, but he didn't have that.ring, talking in his ear all day and night, he didn't have it taunting him, trying to get him killed, so it could get back to its master.'  
  
'Frodo, it's been fifteen years. The ring had fallen with Sauron, there is nothing like that left and although the past is horrible, it IS the past, and nothing you can do will change that. ' Legolas knew this had no effect, but then his voice changed, 'Anyway, I do have a different motive for coming to talk to you. Ash and I are getting restless, we must go soon, or we may be too late to save her. '  
  
'Oh yes, Amethyst. I am starting to have second thoughts about leaving the Shire. Rose needs Sam, and if I go, Sam will want to follow.'  
  
'But What about Amethyst?' asked Legolas, 'What about her? '  
  
'I must go.' Said Frodo, 'But we must leave when Sam least expects it. I cannot have him following me. It is my battle, and I will not have him fight it for me.'  
  
Legolas understood.  
  
  
  
**********  
  
Will I get to the Shire in time? Though Gandalf as he rode across the forest, I have been delayed all ready. I cannot stop. Gandalf 's horse jumped over a log when it stopped completely still. 'Come on Shadowfax! ' He said, digging his spurs into the horse, 'come on! There's nothing to worry about! '  
  
Gandalf got off the horse, and talked to it in a language only it understood. It still refused to budge.  
  
Then Gandalf got an idea. 'If you don't move Shadowfax.' He said, 'I'll have to dig my spurs deeply into your.'  
  
Shadowfax allowed him to get on, and trotted slowly and wearily along a path. Gandalf wondered why Shadowfax was being nervy when a knife just missed his head and buried itself into a tree at an unnerving speed.  
  
This had shocked him enough, but he wasn't expecting what happened next. There was an ear-piercing scream and he found himself being knocked off his steed in a flurry of red hair and worn leather.  
  
If that wasn't bad enough, he heard a shout of, 'Oh, Sweet Valor!' from behind the figure.  
  
When Gandalf looked up he looked into the face of a young woman, not older than a twenty years, wearing a couple of swords in her belt and a scanty yellow and brown leather top (In a corset style) and leather britches. He looked into her blue eyes and instantly recognised her.  
  
'Oh, sorry Gandalf.' She said, 'I didn't see who it was. '  
  
'Aster! ' Said a fairy flying down from a tree, 'I think you might want to get off Gandalf.'  
  
'This is all a bad dream.' said Gandalf, 'This has to be a bad dream..'  
  
The woman got off Gandalf, and scratched her head as she saw how angry he looked. 'It's Gandalf!' said the woman; 'This is a nice surprise!'  
  
'Aster?' asked Gandalf, 'Aster? Here? Alive!'  
  
'Yeah, Gandalf. I managed to escape from that troll in the end. I just didn't get around to telling you that I lived.' She helped him up, and then hugged him. 'It's nice to see you again old friend. 'So, how's things? We're stalking out the nymph's castle here in this Forrest. '  
  
'So is that why you attacked me?' he said.  
  
'Yes, we though you might be one of them.' Said Aster sheepishly.  
  
'Well, there goes our secrecy.' Said the fairy.  
  
'Shut up Scarlet.' Said Aster, ' This is Gandalf. He's hardly likely to be in league with them, is he?'  
  
'We don't know that!' said Scarlet, 'This is too risky a job just to assume things! '  
  
'Scarlet, this is GANDALF!' said Aster, 'Do you need anything more?'  
  
'No.' said Scarlet, 'but I might have.'  
  
Gandalf felt rather left out of this conversation, as well as a little bemused by the casual bickering. 'Excuse me, but have you seen a hobbit in this area lately?'  
  
'Hob-bit? What's a hobbit? ' Asked Scarlet, 'Is it crunchable?' she asked, doing an amazingly good impression of Gollum (even though she swore never to have met him).  
  
'No,' sighed Aster' It's like a dwarf, but shorter and no beard. Hairy feet though.'  
  
' I don't think I've ever seen anything like that in my life!' said Scarlet, 'Let alone in the last four days!'  
  
'Who said anything about four days?' asked Aster, 'What is it with four days!'  
  
Scarlet said, 'Nothing. I haven't seen anything like that at all.' They all looked at her in disbelief.  
  
Scarlet started to turn the colour of her namesake. 'Okay, maybe, but don't say anything if I'm wrong.' She said, 'About four days ago, I saw Rex materialise near his castle, with a little short kid with him. Only about two and a half foot tall. Not very big at all. It had cute little red curls, and apart from that, wasn't very interesting.'  
  
'The face!' exclaimed Gandalf, grabbing the fairy off the tree, 'What about her eyes?'  
  
'I didn't see the eyes!' said Scarlet, trying to get out of his hand, 'I didn't see the.' Gandalf started to squeeze her. 'I SAW THE EYES!' she shouted, 'I SAW THEM! THEY WERE PURPLE, I PROMISE I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ELSE!!!!' she started to kick, 'Get your hands off me you monster!'  
  
Gandalf let go, and Scarlet rubbed her leg where Gandalf had been holding her. 'Git.' She whispered as he ignored her.  
  
'Right, so Rex and Ebony have her.' Said Aster.  
  
' What and who?' asked Scarlet.  
  
'The people we've been watching in this forest for the last month! Didn't I tell you?' said Aster.  
  
'We were meant to be watching?' asked Scarlet.  
  
'Yes. Didn't I say something? Rex and Ebony. They've been looking for this little child for the last fifteen years. '  
  
And who are these people?' asked Scarlet, ' These people who I'm supposed to be watching, even though I don't know I'm meant to be doing so?'  
  
'Well, they're nymphs, like me.' Said Aster, ' But they want this child. They want it because it is the creator. The Kathaerdous will take over for them, destroying everything in its path to create another world.'  
  
'What world?' asked Gandalf, 'What world is this?'  
  
'Sidaradiijes.' Said Aster, 'Sidaradiijes.' As she noticed that no one understood she said, 'A paradise. The name of the paradise they want to create. It would be a place where only Nymphs could exist, and all those who have not fought for it like that.. Well, we would be as good as dead.'  
  
'I think I can leave some business unfinished,' said Gandalf aloud to himself, 'as this seems to run into it.. Aster, can you let me stay here for a few days? I am starting to see how two very different paths can cross.'  
  
  
  
**********  
  
Hehehe. Okay, maybe this should be written better, but I promise the ending will be good, and interesting at the least. Well, more interesting that watching paint dry!  
  
Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration.  
  
I hope you've enjoyed this. Bye! 


	16. A traitor comes to light

Chapter sixteen- Traitor  
  
Hey hey! Chapter sixteen is up, and this is the bit when you get to find out what I meant in chapter 12 I promise!! I hope that it will start to make sense. This chapters a little longer than I would like, but as it were, it does have a point.  
  
Enjoy, and don't forget to review!  
  
******  
  
Rex sat in the gardens around the castle, as a worried looking nymph talked to him. He had hair that was once black, now greying fast. Rex considered that he had been old when they had found him, and it would be too late to allow him to even go near the springs. Right now he was telling Rex, 'It's been four day's, and she still hasn't made herself like us!' said a orange- eyed nymph to Rex, ' I mean, most people, they almost instantly transform, but.. She may be performing magic, but she might not be..'  
  
Rex slapped him. ' She is!' he said, 'I know she is! She's still a little homesick, that's all. She wishes to be among her old friends, but there is one thing that she cannot stop herself from making herself transform. There is only one thing that can make any one forget about the, original body, and become anew, and be in the spiritual body.'  
  
'The spring?' asked the Orange-eyed nymph, 'But the magic would kill anyone except a nymph to go swimming in..'  
  
'Exactly.' Rex said, 'So it would be proof to all you unbelievers.'  
  
'Oh, Rex, I never meant to judge your correctness!' said the Orange nymph.  
  
'I'll let you off this time.' Said Rex smiling, 'But be careful around here.' Then nymph bowed, and walked off.  
  
Rex found himself whistling as he walked back into the castle. He hadn't felt this happy for.ages. Sidaradiijes was just out of reach. All he needed was to train her, just a little more, and then they would be ready for the Nerhurrevd.  
  
Yes, it was safe. They would soon have paradise, and then all those humans who had taken him and tortured him, and all those humans who had mocked him, whipped him, abused him, they would die. They would die with all the other wretched races, like the elves that had patronised all those nymphs, treating them like slaves, as if they were worse. All those dwarfs who worked them in the mines, making them suffer undignified pain, they would die. They would experience in a second all the pain they caused all of them over the centuries of abuse.  
  
The nymphs had only wanted to help and find out about the other races, but no, they took advantage of them and made them into slaves. Rex had nothing happy he remembered about humans, except the time he had killed several after a bad time at the building site they had made him work at, day and night.  
  
When he had found these nymphs, some of them had less than nothing. Rex though about when he found Ebony, after he had made this castle untraceable, even to the best ability of elf.  
  
He had found her begging on the streets. The oracle, the one of the few people humans and elves couldn't hurt, and she had been forced onto the streets, begging and stealing, like a common slave. He had taken her away from all that, and had made those who threw her out onto the street pay. They paid back all that they had taken from her.  
  
Yes, all of them, every single one of them would pay.  
  
**********  
  
'Amethyst?' Rex knocked on her door, and came in. Amethyst sat on her bed, playing with a doll. She looked up at him with her beautiful purple eyes, the ones he had come to hope on.  
  
'Yes?' she said, letting the doll fall out of her hands.  
  
'Amethyst, I though I might take you for a swim. I know this nice little spring, quiet near the castle. '  
  
'I don't usually go swimming.' Said Amethyst; 'My other Dad didn't like it.'  
  
'Well, I think it's about time you learned.' Said Rex. She got up to find towels and get out of her night-dress, but he stopped her. 'No, there's no need for that. I've got everything by the spring. '  
  
**********  
  
The spring was amazing, thought Amethyst. It was on rocky ground, and was a little hard to walk on, but it was smooth and warm. It smelt of hot water and of the sweet fruit bushes that grew all around. There were many pools of water, some deeper than others, and some colder, but Rex seemed to be leading her to a specific one.  
  
All around there was a presence of something she could describe. It felt like crisp and fresh, yet warm and inviting, like water, yet fire. It felt like excitement, but also patience. It was like the air around her was alive, rather than just humid fog. She had never experienced something like this before. She walked slowly, regally as the playful wind played with her hair, caressing, stroking her skin, making it feel better than it had in day's.  
  
The whole of her body tingled. Her long dark red hair blew gently in the wind, like hands stroking it, combing it with the tips of their fingers.  
  
Rex seemed not to notice this, as he strode through the springs, looking for the one he wanted to teach her to swim in.  
  
A grapevine grew around one of the short silvery tree that grew here. Amethyst found herself looking at them. If she didn't know better, she would say it looked as if they were moving, rewinding itself around the trunk. The bushes around her seemed to sigh in awe as she passed, almost if they wished to pay homage to her.  
  
The bushes were few, and far apart, but each produced it's own sweet scent, that should have clashed with the others and smelt horrible, but didn't. Amethyst felt at home here, more than anywhere else in the world she had been before, except in Bag End, and the surrounding forest.  
  
Dad would have loved it here, and Sam, she though to herself, It's so beautiful and calming. Just to sit here with them, watching the vines on the trees and the springs, with gentle scent wafting over to them with the soft touching breeze.  
  
But he can't. Something inside her said, he can't enjoy it here because he's not here. This made her feel worse about leaving her own home, even if it wasn't her real home, as such.  
  
'Amethyst?' Rex was standing next to a pool of water, which steamed gently. She ran over to him as he threw off his shirt and waistcoat, putting them on a nearby tree.  
  
When she got to him, he picked her up and said, 'Amethyst, just dangle your feet in the water, while I take off my shoes. Just to get the feeling on the water.' He placed her like a doll at the side of spring letting her toes touch the water. She twitched one of her toes, watching how it sent little waves across the completely still water.  
  
Rex threw his shoes next to the bush and put his stockings on a convenient branch. He then slipped into the water, barley making a ripple. He swam gracefully to centre of the steaming pool, and waited.  
  
'Come on Amethyst,' he said, 'Go on. Slip in. I promise you won't drown.'  
  
Amethyst trustingly slipped into the water. It was only neck high on her, and she stood in the water, still in her nightgown. Now it billowed in the water as Amethyst tried to stop it from doing so.  
  
Rex lent back in the water, encouraging her to go further. She lent forward, and tiptoes a little further, as it came up further around her neck, her long curls starting to sink and drag her down. Then, she pushed off the ground, and swam forward, with no help at all.  
  
Rex coaxed her as she swam, kicking desperately in a doggy paddle towards him. For what seemed like forever to her (to a more experienced swimmer it would have been just a few strokes) she kicked, trying to get closer, and finally she did.  
  
She felt drowned and as if she couldn't breathe, but when she reached him, touching Rex's fingertips, she knew she was safe. He held her in the water.  
  
'Well done!' he said, 'That wasn't too bad, was it?'  
  
'No.' said Amethyst, 'but why have you brought me out here?'  
  
'Amy,' he said, holding onto her, 'Can you see over there?'  
  
'Where?' she asked.  
  
'Over there. ' He said, pointing at a stop that looked the same to Amethyst, 'Look, just.. There.'  
  
Amethyst peered at it, 'I can't see.' she never finished this sentence. Rex grabbed her head and pushed it backwards, while holding her body underwater. Amethyst screamed, but Rex's face didn't change from the silent determination that was on it now.  
  
Under the water she tried to breathe, but she couldn't. She felt bubbles past her face as she panicked and screamed in the underwater darkness. She couldn't see much, except the dark blue water, and the sun, distorted through the water, shining on her.  
  
She felt Rex push her neck further and further back, almost to breaking point. Amethyst couldn't breathe, she was panicking, and she felt her body feel like it was stretching. She screamed underwater in the pain as she kicked and slapped the water.  
  
She had only been under for half a minute when she was brought up again, forcibly by the neck. Her hair splashed after her and Rex brought her up, panicking and crying for oxygen. She stood there for a minute, crying and choking as Rex tried to go near her.  
  
'NO!' she screamed as he walked towards her, 'DON'T TOUCH ME!'  
  
She pushed off the bottom of the pool. Then she realised that before it had been too deep. She laughed. She looked down at herself. The nightshirt she had been wearing before was far too short by a long way now, now little more than an ordinary shirt.  
  
The short stocky hobbit figure had gone, re-laced with the slender, thin humanesk body. She had long thin arms and long slender, soft fingers, which she ran through her long, straight, dark red hair.  
  
Her feet still had a little hair on them, like hobbit hair, but they had got smaller, and more slender. Her skin was still as pale before, freckles still adorned her face, but she was different.  
  
Rex gasped. 'I never though such a butterfly could come out of a shell like that.'  
  
Amethyst flicked her hair, drips of water falling off them. 'I never though it either.' She said, 'I mean, I look grown up!'  
  
That was true. She looked like a twelve old human girl, mostly, just coming into puberty. She still had, as mentioned before, the hobbit-like feet, and her pointed ears, but she still had the purple eyes. The ones that shone like stars.  
  
She swam towards Rex and smiled at him. 'What did you do to me?' she asked.  
  
'Nothing I haven't done to myself.' He said, 'I just made you beautiful.'  
  
She stood up in the water, and Rex held her close, pressing her up to him. She held onto his arms and put her head on his chest. He embraced her, holding her close, making her feel so safe. She had never felt so at peace, never, she felt tired, yet energetic, like she could run around the whole world, yet she would be just as happy to fall asleep like this.  
  
Then, like an electric shock something ran through her conscious. She saw the destruction of worlds, she felt the pain of thousands of deaths, she saw the Shire being burned down to the ground, she saw nymphs climbing over dead bodies, shouting, and worst of all she saw herself hold a knife, blood dripping down it, on the dead body of a mutilated hobbit. She saw Ash's face fading away, into the background of a grey battlefield, she saw Frodo's face fading into the background, she saw middle earth, destroyed, the ash on the ground blowing in the wind.  
  
She gasped, and let go of Rex. He seemed as shocked as she did when she started splashing, trying to get out of the pool.  
  
'What is it moppet?' he asked, wading after her, holding his arms out for her.  
  
She got onto the rock and said, 'Nothing, I just..'  
  
A dress in her size appeared out of no where and sat on the tree next to her. She slipped the shirt off, and threw it on.  
  
She tried to run across the rocky surface, but she found her feet hurt, as then no longer had their leathery souls. She stopped, and sitting on the ground, she tried to massage her feet. Rex had run after her, and sat on the ground next to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and said, 'Come on Amy, what's wrong?'  
  
'N-Nothing.' She said, looking close to tears, 'I just.you're not my real father, are you?'  
  
'My dear,' he said, 'I may do many bad things, but I wouldn't lie to you. I'd just lie to everyone else.'  
  
'You tried to drown ME!' she exclaimed, 'How can I trust you?'  
  
Rex massaged her back. 'Because my darling, I wasn't drowning you. I just released you. '  
  
'From what?' she asked sulkily.  
  
'From that boring, unmagical form, to this! Your beautiful new nymph body.'  
  
Amethyst started to think. 'So what happened to my old body?' she asked.  
  
'Let's just say you haven't lost it.' He said, running his finger down her back, 'let's just say its in a safe place.'  
  
He touched her chest, grinning widely. 'Now, I think I know what your trouble is.' He said, 'I think you need shoes!'  
  
He clicked his finger, and they appeared next to her. He put the shoes on for her, and then helped her up. They walked off, into the distance, and then in a cloud of steam, the disappeared.  
  
_____________________________  
  
'How far have we gone now?' asked Frodo.  
  
'About half a mile.' Said Legolas.  
  
'Are we there yet?' Frodo asked Ash.  
  
Ash turned around and glared at him. 'We're five minutes closer to the castle than we were the last time you asked.' He said.  
  
'Sorry. It's been a long time since I last went on a journey like this.' He said, 'And I can still see Bag End from here. I think age is catching up on me!'  
  
'Look, I think we should get off the road.' Said Myotisis, 'There's something coming.'  
  
'Myotisis, whatever it is, we don't need to worry.' Said Ash, ' Both of us could destroy a horse and cart in half a minute.'  
  
'No, I really, really think we need to get off the road!' Myotisis urged.  
  
Ash sighed and said, 'Look, I'll just see what it is.' Said Ash. He turned around and swallowed.  
  
'I think for your sake Frodo we should get off the road.' Said Ash, pulling Frodo into a ditch.  
  
'Hey, wha?' he said, before he was joined by Myotisis and Legolas in the ditch.  
  
They all sat there quietly for a moment when Legolas and Frodo asked together. 'What are we doing in this ditch?'  
  
'Well, you'll find out in a minute.' Said Ash. 'You said you didn't want anyone else coming with us, didn't you?'  
  
'Yes.' Said Frodo, not understanding. Then it hit him. 'Oh! I see!' he said, 'So who's on that cart?'  
  
'Sam.' Said Myotisis.  
  
___________________________  
  
'This is ridiculous!' said Scarlet, 'We are sitting in the bushes, waiting for some guy to come out and tell us "oh, hello secretly hiding people, we're just about to take over the world. Come and save it."'  
  
Gandalf and Aster looked over at her, and gave her a look of contempt.  
  
'Shut up scarlet.' Said Aster, 'You are really starting to get on my wick!'  
  
'I'm only here as a favour to Rhiannon.' Said Scarlet, feeling even more annoyed than usual, 'And that was only because she saved my city from some stupid monsters.'  
  
'Silence!' said Gandalf, 'Or you will regret it!'  
  
Scarlet looked away from them, and went into a private huff. Then, after a few minutes she said, 'So what connections do you and Rhiannon have anyway, Aster? I mean, you're a nymph, and she's, well, a witch. '  
  
'Trained by the best.' Said Gandalf, putting his hat at a jaunty angle.  
  
Aster ignored Gandalf and said, ' Well, she's one of my friends in high places. We met in a battle against orcs, when she had just left Gandalf's apprenticeship. Basically, we watched each other's backs.'  
  
'And, just for the record, what are we doing in this forest?' asked Scarlet.  
  
'Watching this castle.' Said Aster.  
  
' Why? I mean, why don't you just go out and fight them with your magical powers?' said Scarlet sarcastically.  
  
'Because there's three of us, and hundreds of them, with, if you are correct, my child.'  
  
'Your child?' asked Scarlet.  
  
'A nymph child. The one who'll be the one to make or break this universe.'  
  
'Right.' said Scarlet, leaning back on the trunk, 'I believe you.'  
  
_________________________  
  
'This is ridiculous!' said Frodo, climbing out of the ditch, 'If Sam want's to come, we should let him!'  
  
Ash followed him out and tried to pull him back down. 'Frodo, you don't even know where you're going!'  
  
Frodo stood in the road totally still for a moment. 'You know, I really don't. I have no idea where they have taken her. I have no idea where this place is.'  
  
Frodo sat on the edge of the road. Ash sat next to him. ' I cannot describe where we are going.' He said, 'But I know that we will need all the help we can get.'  
  
'But how do we get there?' asked Frodo, 'There must be a faster way, they must be back at the castle now!'  
  
'Well, there is one way, but I do not advise it.' Said Ash.  
  
'Please!' said Frodo; 'I'll do anything!'  
  
'Well, we could try to.. Travel through space.'  
  
'Through space?' asked Frodo.  
  
Myotisis got out of the ditch and asked, 'Through space? You are suggesting we travel with these non-nymphs through space?'  
  
Ash sighed, 'Well our only choice is top get there about a month too late.'  
  
Myotisis gulped. 'Okay, space it is.'  
  
The cart drew up close to them. Sam stopped and got off. 'You though you could stop me from following you Mr Frodo.' He said with a grin, 'But you couldn't. I followed you, using my head!'  
  
Frodo quiet unexpectedly ran over to Sam and hugged him. Sam was almost bowled over, and then nervously patted Frodo on the back. 'Oh Sam! I never though I'd be so glad to see you when I leave for a journey like this!'  
  
'That is all and well.' Said Myotisis, 'But what about Amethyst? We should try to get to the castle, and quick.'  
  
Frodo let go of Sam. 'Of course, but what is this space?' he asked.  
  
'Oh, it just means that we will transport ourselves through the world, i.e. space, which then means we get to a different point in the world, in a short space of time. It's quiet simple for nymphs, such as us, and the occasional wizard or witch, but it is risky for those who are not of that persuasion. '  
  
'We are willing to risk it.' Said Legolas.  
  
'We are?' asked Sam.  
  
' To start off with,' said Ash, 'to do this, you must all hold hands, and not one of you must fidget. At the moment it is a risky enough business just with all of you, without you moving, rising all sorts of danger.'  
  
Sam, Frodo and Legolas nodded.  
  
'You must also promise that you know that we are going to rescue Amethyst. We are going into the nymph's castle, and we are going to take her to a place I know that's well defended and we can keep in until they come and attack.'  
  
'And then?' asked Legolas.  
  
'With her and me there, we won't need to worry about anything more.' Said Ash with a grin.  
  
'So, shall we start?' asked Myotisis.  
  
'Is that it?' asked Legolas, 'Do we just hold hands and we get there?'  
  
'Not quiet my Lord.' Said Myotisis, ' We also must think of the place we are going to.'  
  
'But we don't know where we are going.' Said Frodo, 'Me and Sam that is.'  
  
' Just think of Amethyst, that way you will be able to get closer to her.' Said Ash, 'That goes for you to, Legolas.'  
  
'I don't know where this place is..' Started Legolas, but then he got a flash of light behind his eyes, revealing the locations of a castle. It showed it in a forest, surrounded by trees, it showed itself inside, the walls covered with wonderful tapestries, many nymphs walking around, then he saw the room, where a beautiful young maiden with long straight dark red hair, lay on a bed, asleep.  
  
Only then did he notice the purple pendant hanging around the neck.  
  
Legolas shook his head. 'What was that?' he asked.  
  
'I just let you know where the castle it.' Said Myotisis, 'But we have to go, and fast!'  
  
'Okay, just concentrate, and don't let go of us.' Said Ash, 'Or the consequences will not be good..'  
  
**********  
  
For Ash and Myotisis, the transition wasn't painful, or even scary, even though it had been a long time since either of them had been able to do this, but for Sam, Frodo and Legolas, the experience was at least unsettling.  
  
It felt as if they were being ripped from their own bodies and then as if they were being flung around. Frodo almost screamed at the sensation, like heat and ice at the same time. He had his eyes screwed shut, as he couldn't bear to look.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like the longest minute in the history of time, Frodo felt himself hit the ground with a nasty bump.  
  
He heard someone say 'Ow..'  
  
Frodo opened his eyes. What he saw wasn't that nice. Myotisis lay next to him, his arm at a strange angle. Legolas sat up, rubbing his head and Ash.. He had got up, and was listening for noise like an elf.  
  
'Were are we?' asked Sam, 'I remember pain, and darkness, and more pain.'  
  
'Welcome to the transmogrification effect.' Said Myotisis.  
  
Sam groaned. 'I can see why I should stop going off on adventures with you now, Mr Frodo.' Said Sam. Frodo grinned nervously, and then looked at Myotisis's arm. Or rather, the strangeness of it.  
  
'Is it just me.' said Frodo, 'Or is there something wrong with your arm.'  
  
Myotisis slowly looked at his arm. He went pale and swallowed. 'I think I've done something to it.' He said.  
  
'Like what?' asked Frodo.  
  
'Lost part of it.' Said Myotisis, 'I knew the risks when travelling with all of you, but I never thought.. Oh darn.' He said, feeling his arm, 'I think I've lost part of my arm.'  
  
'Lost part of your arm?' asked Legolas, cottoning onto the conversation, 'How can you..' As he had been sitting behind Myotisis, he looked at Myotisis's back and gulped.  
  
'You have lost part of your arm.' He confirmed.  
  
Ash walked back to them, and then looked at Myotisis. 'Oh dear..' he said to himself, 'I knew it was risky, but..'  
  
'Ash, can you help me?' Myotisis asked.  
  
'Oh Myotisis!' Ash ran over to him and said, 'Don't worry, I know just the thing for this!'  
  
Ash sat down next to Myotisis and flicked his hand. In it appeared a mixture of herbs and a little piece of metal. Ash then rubbed the herbs into Myotisis's back, and put the little rod of metal into his arm. Then, Ash put his finger on the wound in his arm, and a little shock of yellow lightening zinged into Myotisis's back.  
  
'So, where are we.' asked Sam again. He started to tail off when he heard a scream in the near distance, and saw a figure hurtling towards Legolas, swinging out of the trees.  
  
Legolas screamed as the figure landed on top of him, pushing him down to the ground. Then, after all that he was able to look her in the face. The women had bright blue eyes, even brighter than Myotisis's, and long, ginger- red hair. She looked at Legolas, and shouted into his face, 'STATE YOUR BUSINESS OR PREPARE TO BE STABBED!'  
  
Legolas coughed and said, 'I will as soon as you get off me.'  
  
The woman got up, but held a knife next to his neck. ' State your business,' she repeated, 'Or prepare to stabbed. ' She looked at Ash and Myotisis, and doing a flip of some kind, she pushed Myotisis up against a tree, holding the knife to his neck, and shouted, 'I KNOW YOU MYOTISIS! YOU BETRAYED ME!'  
  
Myotisis lifted his hands and said, 'I, I, I, I, I'm sorry, I don't even know who you are?'  
  
'Oh yes you do.' She said, 'You almost killed me! Rex almost got his mits on Ash because of you!'  
  
Ash looked at her in horror. 'Who are you?' he asked.  
  
The woman turned around, keeping the knife on Myotisis throat and said, 'I'm her.'  
  
'Aster!' shouted Scarlet, 'What the hell do you think you are doing?'  
  
'I found, THIS' she grabbed Myotisis by the collar and held him up for Scarlet Webb to see, 'In the forest, with these people.'  
  
She waved her hand vaguely at Frodo, Sam, Ash and Legolas.  
  
Scarlet did not look very impressed. 'He's just a nymph!' said Scarlet, 'He's not going to do anything! '  
  
'He's a traitor!' said Aster.  
  
'No he's not! Look, if he was one of them, wouldn't he been sitting in that castle with them!' said Scarlet.  
  
Aster gave him a look of disgust and let him drop to the ground. 'I'll keep my eye on you.' She said, and then turned her attention to a stunned Samwise and Frodo. 'What are you looking at?' she asked.  
  
'Err.. Where are we?'  
  
Aster put her knife back into her belt. 'In the forest near the nymph's castle. ' Then she squinted at Frodo. 'Do I know you from somewhere?' she asked.  
  
'I've never met you.' He said, 'But was the ring bearer, with Samwise of course. We have become infamous around middle earth.'  
  
'No, it isn't that.' she said, weighing them up.  
  
'Frodo? Samwise? ' Asked a voice. They turned around.  
  
'Gandalf!' shouted Sam, throwing his arms around the wizard.  
  
'Samwise! What are you doing here?' asked Gandalf, 'This business does not involve you.'  
  
'No, but it involves me.' Said Frodo, stepping forward.  
  
Gandalf smiled and laughed. 'Yes, I can see. But still, it is quiet a risk..' He looked over at Myotisis. ' Myotisis? Why are YOU here?'  
  
Myotisis grinned and said, ' I don't know what you are going on about.'  
  
'Oh, you know you little rat!' said Gandalf rounding on him, 'You have betrayed many before us. Why are you here?' he asked, 'Why?'  
  
'Oh, Gandalf, don't you know? But you never bothered yourself with the lives of the nymphs, even when I was still a young nymphling, and I was being used as a slave to an Elf family, beaten day and night with no food or rest. You visited them, but you never stopped them doing that to me. No, as I wasn't a proper elf, I had no right to dignity according to you!'  
  
Myotisis was being uncharacteristically nasty as he grabbed Aster by the neck and held her, 'Yes Gandalf, I know about you and your ''apprentice''. I also know about you and your little affair with this one. '  
  
' I didn't know what you were Myotisis, I didn't know how you were treated Myotisis, I would have never let it happen if I had known. ' Pleaded Gandalf.  
  
Myotisis laughed nastily, 'Yes, keep telling yourself that Gandalf. But when Rex found me, well he changed my life. I killed all of those who worked me like a slave, and found a place in Prince Legolas's court. I waited years before I got my chance to find Ash. '  
  
Ash looked at him, 'Myotisis, you're lying! Non of this is true!' he whispered, 'It can't be!'  
  
'It is.' He said, 'And you know what? I've been looking for you, trying to get you to the castle. Rex wants you, and he can give you, everything you ever wanted. '  
  
'I won't go with you.' Said Ash, 'I know what Rex wants, and I shall not let him have it at the price of humanity.'  
  
Myotisis laughed again, 'YOU ARE SO NAÏVE! Humans, elves, dwarfs, non of them will thank you. They'll hunt you down, like they hunted others like us. Just come with me, and Rex will lead us, he'll lead us to Sidaradiijes, and we shall be happy, all we need is your co-operation, and of course, Amethysts.'  
  
'She would never work with you!' said Frodo, 'She never would!'  
  
'And we shall beat you!' said Gandalf, pointing his staff at him, 'For I shall win!'  
  
Myotisis yawned. 'Gandalf, don't point that thing at me, you'll have someone's eye out.' Then, he lifted his hand, and a bolt of turquoise blue lightening wrapped itself around his staff, and brought it to Myotisis.  
  
Ash's eyes started to glow yellow. Myotisis held the staff in his hand and said, 'Yes, even with Aster out of action and me with Gandalf's staff, you can still beat me. You out number me five to one. But, shall I make it more fair?'  
  
Myotisis's eyes started to glow, and he shouted into the sky, 'I HAVE HIM MASTER!'  
  
Within the blink of an eye, fifteen more nymphs appeared, and stood behind Myotisis.  
  
Frodo and Sam watched hoping not to be noticed, but a couple of nymphs grabbed them, and held them, even though they were struggling. Legolas did not escape either. Even though he stabbed a few nymphs with his blade, they did not seem to notice, and one of them grabbed his arm with the sword in it, and twisted it out of his grip.  
  
Then, with his sword out of his hand, and bow being unreachable, the nymph took Legolas's arm and twisted it again.  
  
There was a bone-breaking crunch, and Legolas turned white.  
  
'NO!' screamed Frodo, 'NO!'  
  
Legolas tried to smile, but he couldn't.  
  
'I had to go to your court Legolas, to understand what I had to kill' said Myotisis, putting Legolas's own blade to his throat, 'I had to make that sacrifice to understand what I had to kill'  
  
Ash smiled. 'Myotisis, I'm not as stupid as you seem to think I am. Understand I knew you were going to betray me ever since you told me to break off the connection when we were still in Gondor. '  
  
Myotisis smirked uncomprehendingly. 'What's that got to do with anything?'  
  
Ash grinned even more if that was possible. 'Understand, ' he said as he let the magic run off his finger, and hit Myotisis, 'That Legolas and me planned to stop you before now, by doing that to your arm. Understand that you're dead .'  
  
The magic went through Myotisis, and as it reached the metal rod in his arm, it exploded, and his arm came off in a flurry of flesh and bone. Then, the magic ran down his back, found the base of his spine and stayed there for a moment.  
  
Myotisis's face changed from a triumphant grin to sheer horror. The magic reached into the base of his spine, and then expanded. The base of his spine blew out, spraying his blood and bone marrow, hitting some of the nymphs. Frodo had to close his eyes, as he couldn't bear to look at his face as he fell back, staggering.  
  
Ash watched and shouted, 'DEATH TO THE NYMPH MYOTISIS!' Myotisis body fell slowly backwards to the ground and Ash shouted, 'DEATH TO DESTRUCTION! DEATH - TO- THE-NYMPH - MY-O-TI-SIS!  
  
He laughed maniacally, off his guard, as three nymphs grabbed him, and binded him with rope made from pure nymph magic. Ash couldn't move, but that wasn't the biggest of his problems.  
  
Gandalf, Legolas, Samwise and Frodo where bond as well, there efforts to escape not working against the nymphs. A green-eyed nymph seemed to have become the leader, and said to his nymphs, 'quick, to the castle!'  
  
Ash struggled and shouted as loud as he could, as well as Frodo and Sam, to stop being taken off. Then the green-eyed nymph sighed and said, 'I will sedate them.'  
  
The green eyed nymph's eyes started to glow, and Frodo found his eye lids getting heavier, and heavier, and found himself going to sleep.  
  
********** Who is this Green-eyed nymph? Trust me, he will get more and more important. What was Aster saying before she got cut off. Why did I steal a scene from eXistenZ? I'll answer those questions and more, in the next chapters of Amethyst.  
  
Okay, I shpuld really stop doing that. 


	17. Plans of escape

Chapter Seventeen - Plans of escape  
  
Well, hello again! Sorry I haven't written for.ages, but I was on holiday and couldn't upload my stories for a while. I've played more games of cards than most people should. And listened to too much dance music. Err, if I get good reviews for all of Amethyst, I'll start the sequel. But if I don't, the sequel will be written a whole lot slower  
  
But less of that talk, and more with Amethyst!!  
  
**********  
  
About two hours earlier Rhiannon woke up in a dungeon she didn't recognise. For her this was an unusual occurrence. Her knew all the dungeons in middle earth, and had escaped from most of them. It could be said that she was a woman of action, like a female version of Strider, but that would be incorrect. Trouble found her, rather than looking for trouble.  
  
Rhiannon wasn't like other girls. For one thing, she was a witch. She wasn't a warty horrible witch, like the type that lured children in houses and cooked them, but one of the Isltar. She had long blue hair, a dark blue, like the colour of the shy between sunset and night-time, and had the bright eyes to match. She wore long blue robes, like Gandalf's, but courser and more well worn.  
  
If you have heard little of Rhiannon, I shall fill you in. She was Gandalf's apprentice for a while, until she, like all good apprentices, got as powerful as he did. But her training had been successful. She had learned his ethos, and she had become a wanderer, and continually helping people she could help with her powers.  
  
She had never lived in a village more than a few months at a time all her life, as she would have to move, because of her obligation to help others and her apprenticeship to Gandalf.  
  
So, waking up in a strange dungeon, chained up to the wall, the other side of an irate dwarf, was not exactly her idea of a great time.  
  
She started to remember what had happened to her. She had been asked to help with a seriously ill child, and she had accepted, and had run off to the village near the River Serni. When she had got there, she had not found any child, or indeed anyone. A nymph had attacked her, and she had been outnumbered. The last thing she remembered was one of them mentioning the fact the Kathaerdous was here.  
  
The Kathaerdous was someone she had to keep her eye out for. If what she had learned from the good nymph's was true, than Rhiannon was in no position to rest. If this was really the nymph that could destroy everything on middle earth, and then create a paradise from the ruins, well Rhiannon had to get out of here.  
  
She then looked at the irate dwarf next to her.  
  
'Where are we..' She asked.  
  
'You are in the nymph's castles dungeon.' Said the dwarf, ' And you know why we're here?'  
  
'No. ' said Rhiannon.  
  
'Because we're going to die.' He said.  
  
Rhiannon looked at the dwarf. ' Gimli?'  
  
Gimli nodded.' Yes.'  
  
' Why are you here?' she asked.  
  
' I don't know.' He said, 'But I think we're about to find out.'  
  
Rhiannon heard footsteps, and then a key turn in the lock. Rex walked in, grinning at them.  
  
'Hello!' he said, ' I see the great Rhiannon is still tied up.'  
  
'Yes.' She said, 'I only just woke up.'  
  
'Well, I'm sure both of you would like to know what you are doing here?'  
  
' Don't play games with us!' Rhiannon snapped, 'Just tell us and go!'  
  
Rex smiled again. ' I will do so. You are here for the Nerhurrevd.' He walked up to her, and stroked her face. Rhiannon scowled at him. ' The Nerhurrevd is the ceremony involved in the purification of middle earth before we can set up Sidaradiijes. In the ceremony, we need the blood of every human-like race on middle earth. Here, I'll tell you.' He coughed, and then recited a poem.  
  
'Learn the lore of living creatures! First name the four of the free peoples: Eldest of all, the elf children; Dwarf the delver, dark are his houses; Ent the earth born, old as the mountains; Man the mortal, master of horses.' He said.  
  
'So what has this to do with any ceremony?' asked Rhiannon, 'They are four races. '  
  
'Ah, the thing is, we need the blood of the four races to be able for the ceremony to work. The Kathaerdous must mix the blood of the four races together, and then drink some, and spill the rest on the ground.'  
  
'Do you mean you must kill them all during the ceremony?' asked Rhiannon.  
  
'No. Just one of them. But there is a test for if we have mixed them all together correctly. The test is to make a non-nymph drink it. If they live, there is an ingredient missing. '  
  
'What have I go to do with it?' asked Rhiannon, 'I've killed too many of you just to be a tester. There must be another reason.'  
  
'Yes, there is in fact.' Said Rex. 'It's because you and Gandalf have a tendency to rescue everyone in the nick of time, and I though maybe it would be a good idea for you to be here watching, rather than out there, fighting.'  
  
Rhiannon glared at him. 'So, you've got Dwarf blood, but what about the rest?' she asked.  
  
'Oh, we've got Ent blood, after we killed Fagorn a little while ago, and we have man blood, from Borormir himself. We took it from his frozen body, but we now just lack elf blood, but I have a funny feeling that we won't lack it for much longer. Not after we find your friend Aster in the bushes out there hiding.'  
  
Aster! Rhiannon had forgotten about her. 'What do you mean?' she asked.  
  
'I mean, she has many friends among the elves, but we cannot have the blood of any elf. We must have the blood of the highest born of each species. '  
  
Everything clicked in Rhiannon's mind. Denthor had been a king, Fagorn had been a leader of the Ent's and Gimli was the son of a very important dwarf. But who would this elf be, that they knew would come?  
  
' Myotisis has found Ash, the nymph blood we need, and he had outdone himself this time. He not only brings nymph blood, but the elven blood we need. Prince Legolas.'  
  
Rhiannon gasped. 'You're going to kill Legolas and Gimli?' she asked.  
  
Rex smiled, and said, 'No, just make them bleed a bit. But when the Nerhurrevd is over, they'll wish they had.' Rex swaggered over to a chair, and pulled it up.  
  
' Rhiannon, Amethyst, the Kathaerdous, she is only beginning to learn of her power, but I think she is ready. For one thing, she would kill her own father if I told her to. And I know that he comes as well. Oh, the Nerhurrevd doesn't take place here, it take place in the hall, but her HOBBIT father will watch her become powerful, and not have him holding her back. Holding her back from what she truly is.'  
  
' Rex, this isn't right!' Rhiannon said, 'It isn't right at all!'  
  
'Is it right that nymphs should suffer for what we are!' he shouted, breaking the chair in half, 'For being the more powerful ones, being treated as the earth's scum just of existing!' He went right up close to her face, 'I WILL NOT LET MY PEOPLE SUFFER ANY MORE AT THE HANDS OF THE OTHER RACES!' he shouted, 'YOU ARE GOING TO DIE PAINFULLY AND SLOWLY, AND I SHALL HAVE SIDARADIIJES HERE, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! HUMANITY AND ALL THE REST SHALL DIE!'  
  
He turned around fast and ran out, slamming the door.  
  
Gimli lent back against the wall. 'So, we are all to be dead in a few days?' he asked.  
  
'Yes.' said Rhiannon, 'if I can't escape and come up with a cunning plan.'  
  
'Can you?' he asked.  
  
'Well, trying to escape from the chains would be a good start.' She said. She concentrated on the chains, trying to get them to unlock, or at least break, but instead she found that she was in pain, as magic shot down from them, and pierced her very skin.  
  
'OW!' she shouted. Then she said 'These things have a nymph charm on them, and cannot be broken easily, even by nymphs. '  
  
'So, are we doomed?' asked Gimli.  
  
'I'm afraid so.' She said, 'But not before Rex has had his fun.'  
  
' So what are we to do?' asked Gimli, 'I've been here two day's now, and it looks like I'm not going back to my mine, and my wife is not going to live.'  
  
'You have a wife? ' Asked Rhiannon.  
  
'Yes, and they threatened to kill her if I didn't let myself become their hostage, and I agreed.'  
  
'So what's going to become of your mine, with only your wife running things?' she asked.  
  
'Just my wife?' he asked, 'She was running the place when I came back! The place was fine, but now.I'm going to miss the world. I'm going to miss Galadriel the most though.' His eyes when misty at the though, 'I've still got her hair in a crystal around my neck.'  
  
Rhiannon nodded. ' Y'know what I'm going to regret most.' She said, 'Not having found love. I always though I'd fall in love, and that would be it, but I never did. I suppose I was always too busy. Always had a village to save, or another adventure to get some silly hobbit to go on!' she laughed, 'Although that was Gandalf's speciality. I never had to do it myself.' Rhiannon tried to be strong, but she found herself crying. 'Oh, I'm such a fool! But I know I will never find my love!'  
  
Gimli nodded. He didn't really understand what she was going on about, but he said, 'We'll all leave something behind, something we meant to do and didn't. I meant to build another shaft to find Mithril, but I'll never do that.'  
  
Rhiannon nodded. 'I'll never see Aster Or Gandalf OR Scarlet Or Sais Queen again!' she sobbed, 'I miss them so much all ready!'  
  
'I'm going to leave my wife behind, and I'll never see Legolas, or Frodo, or anyone else I have come to love again, but you don't see me crying.' Said Gimli. Then he sobbed to.  
  
Rhiannon sobbed again, and said, 'Oh Gimli, I can't believe we're crying!'  
  
'Nor can I' said Gimli sobbing yet again, 'But I don't want to die!'  
  
'Nor do I!' said Rhiannon (still sobbing), ' And I'll die, never have meeting my soul mate, and if he exists.' She said. Then she shook her head, 'Why am I even THINKING about this? I'll never get a chance to see this person, or meet them. I need to work on getting out of here.'  
  
**********  
  
About three hours later, Frodo woke up. He blinked a couple of time, just to get the world in perspective, and then he knew vaguely where he was. He tried to lift his hands, and he saw they had chains on them, as well as his feet. He hadn't had chains on him since Mordor, something he would rather not remember.  
  
Legolas was awake too, sitting next to them. He had sat up, and looked in sever pain with his arm.  
  
Frodo looked up and whispered, 'Legolas?'  
  
'Frodo,' he whispered back, 'Are you awake?'  
  
'Yes.' Answered Frodo, 'Are we in their castle?'  
  
'Yes.' Said Legolas, 'And I regret that much.'  
  
'So, can we escape?' asked Frodo.  
  
'I think we should ask Gandalf when he wakes up.' Said Legolas. He winced again in pain.  
  
'Are you in pain Legolas?' he asked.  
  
'Yes.' Replied Legolas truthfully, 'I should have heeled before now, but I haven't. '  
  
Frodo crawled as best as he could back to Legolas. Legolas let Frodo put his head on his good arm, and felt comforted by the weight and warmth.  
  
'I wish I had stayed in the Shire.' Said Frodo, 'I wish I had now. I am starting to wish I had never found Amethyst, or taken her in, as it has sealed my fate.'  
  
Legolas sighed. 'Frodo, Amethyst is not the root of these troubles, but the people who wish to use her, such as Myotisis.' He spat the word like poison.  
  
'Even now, in this dungeon, knowing that I'm doomed, I cannot find it in my heart to hate. ' Said Frodo.  
  
'My friend, I would one day hope for love like yours, if we were not in a position to wish.' Said Legolas, 'But it looks as if Gandalf is stirring.'  
  
**********  
  
'I've got it!' said Rhiannon, 'I've got the plan to escape!'  
  
'What is it?' asked Gimli, 'I've been waiting for two hours for this!'  
  
'Well, he is going to use me to test the blood, right?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'At the moment he gives me the cup to drink, he won't be expecting an attack, will he?'  
  
'No.' said Gimli, 'but you would be dead, wouldn't you?'  
  
' No I won't.' said Rhiannon, 'The poem he recited was wrong, in one small way. There are five free peoples, not four.'  
  
This comment met Gimli blankly. Rhiannon sighed and said, 'The poem WENT like he said, but, when Pippin and Merry met Fagorn, he updated it, as there were now five free people, not counting the nymphs. It should have been.'  
  
'I am in no mood for poetry!' said Gimli.  
  
'Hear me out, it will be worth it.' Said Rhiannon. She cleared her throat and began.  
  
' Learn the lore of living creatures! First name the FIVE of the free peoples: Eldest of all, the elf children; Dwarf the delver, dark are his houses; Ent the earth born, old as the mountains; Half-grown HOBBITS, the hole dwellers; Man the mortal, master of horses.'  
  
'So?' asked Gimli.  
  
'When he gives me the blood to drink, you hit him over the head.'  
  
'All right, ' said Gimli, 'its not the most sophisticated of plans, but the world is safe unless Rex figure this out?'  
  
'Yes,' said Rhiannon, ' and with Gandalf free, we have hope of escape..'  
  
**********  
  
' If I cannot break these chains, then we have no hope of escape.' Said Gandalf. Frodo sighed again, trying to wake Sam up.  
  
'Legolas, are you sure you're all right?' asked Frodo, as he shook Sam. Sam opened his eyes.  
  
'Mr Frodo, where are we?' he asked.  
  
'The last place you would want to be.' Said Legolas, wincing as he moved his arm, trying to wake up Ash. He opened his eyes, but Legolas could not help him up. He was conscious, and that was enough.  
  
'We're in their castle.' Said Frodo.  
  
Sam tried to get up to hold Frodo, but he felt back, after realising the chains where on him. 'They've chained us?' asked Sam.  
  
'Yes, but I can't think why.' Said Frodo, 'There would be no point of chaining us, maybe Legolas or Gandalf.'  
  
Legolas nodded. 'We are all chained, there is no more hope.'  
  
'There is ' said Sam; 'there is always hope if you look hard enough.'  
  
'And a second choice.' Said Gandalf, 'As there is a charm on these chains, and I can't seem to find the anti-charm.'  
  
If Legolas could had sat down heavily and sighed, he would have, but in the meantime, his shoulders drooped further, and groaned.  
  
'We must wait for whatever they have planned for us.' Said Frodo.  
  
'Whatever that might be,' Said Sam, 'I don't think we'll like it.  
  
'Wait a second..' Said 'Legolas, 'Where's Aster? And Scarlet?'  
  
**********  
  
'Aster!' shouted Scarlet, 'Where are you? They've taken Gandalf! And Legolas! Where are you!'  
  
'I'm here!' shouted Aster, 'Stop shouting you idiot!'  
  
Scarlet floated down from the tree she had been flying over, 'Less with the idiot, more with what the hell are we going to do?' Said Scarlet.  
  
Aster sighed. 'We're going to the castle.' She said.  
  
'WHAT!' said scarlet, 'ARE YOU CRAZY! WE WOULDN'T LAST FIVE MINUTES!'  
  
'Quiet Scarlet!' said Aster, 'I need to get to the castle, to save my baby. '  
  
'Baby?' asked Scarlet, 'You never..'  
  
'Scarlet, I've got a confession to make.' Said Aster, 'I did once have a child, and with who, but the very Nymph who wants to destroy us.'  
  
'Rex?' asked Scarlet.' What, you two.'  
  
'Yes.' Said Aster, 'I was young, foolish, and he told me many things. Like I was special, that we would rule the world together, no one coming in our way. So I dedicated myself to him.  
  
'Now I realise, he really meant, "his" way. I believed him. I became his slave, doing anything and everything for him, I'd destroy cities on his command, search towns, anything if it would make him happy.' Aster sighed again, 'Well, I became pregnant with his child. When he found out, he threw me out of the castle, and found himself another love. He didn't love me, or that child in any way. He took everything from me. My dignity, my hope, everything. That, Ebony! '  
  
'Ebony?' asked scarlet.  
  
'Yes.' Said Aster, 'She was half mad when I met her, and with him encouraging her, she must be crazy by now. So, I was all on my own, pregnant with a child that no one wanted and with nothing left. I walked for ages, trying to sort myself out, when I found Gandalf. He saw my state, and he helped me as best as she could, and I became a student of his. I learned about all the places he had gone to, and found out all about the people he had visited. '  
  
'But I though you were almost killed by a troll?' asked Scarlet, 'Not exactly the best thing for a pregnant woman to do, fight trolls. '  
  
'Oh, I had given birth by then, and hid my baby in the place no one would think of looking.'  
  
Scarlet looked blankly at her.  
  
'The Shire.' She said, 'I let her with a little pendant I had been given by Rhiannon once. I knew her before Rex did. As far as I can tell, Rex has never been interested in finding her, he even suggested that I should kill it at one point, but I never knew that the baby would have been so important.. I never knew that she was the Kathaerdous, or I'd never have let her there. '  
  
' Kathaerdous?' asked Scarlet, 'What the heck is the Kathaerdous?'  
  
'It's our Saviour.' Said Aster, 'She will lead our people to a better life. But there is much debate of what that is. It could be harmony among all people, created by understanding, or it could be what Rex plans to do. Destroy the world, and create a new one, only for the nymphs.'  
  
'If this is true, ' said Scarlet, 'I think we better get going.'  
  
**********  
  
Amethyst was now trying out a new trick. That morning yet another nymph had come along, and taught her how to disappear and reappear. After she had learned to do it to herself, she now was trying doing it to other objects. She had now managed to make the bed invisible.  
  
Amethyst was now learning to take advantage of her new form. She had made new dresses appear and she had been trying them on all day, as she lay them on the invisible bed. There were long dresses, and short dresses, and red dresses and all different colours, but they all had something in common. They were what Amethyst knew as "grown up" clothes.  
  
They were cut so they hung down the shoulder, and corseted and made here look like a princess in a story.  
  
She slipped another one off. She couldn't find one she wanted to wear today. All these things weren't right somehow. They seemed to pretty. Too pretty for daywear. But all the things she could think of wearing were all too small.  
  
She put another one on, a green and yellow one that hung just above the shoulders and had the pattern of creepers over the corset. She looked in the mirror (which she had made appear to look at herself in) and sighed. She then saw Rex standing at the door.  
  
She turned around. 'Rex?' she asked.  
  
'Amethyst, I've got a little treat for you.' He said, smiling, 'Today, we are going to do a little ceremony, just as an initiation, just to see if you are ready to go to the Sidaradiijes.'  
  
' Sidaradiijes?' she asked, 'What is the Sidaradiijes?'  
  
'It's a place where we can be safe Amethyst, ' he said, 'It's the place where no one can be oppressed, or hurt and everyone is happy. There's no need of pain, or sadness and no-ones ever the strange one, or the one everyone fears, they just are happy. They are happy for now until ever.'  
  
'So what do I need to do for this ceremony?' she asked.  
  
'You'll find out.' He said with a grin, 'But you'll know what to do when you see it. It's your destiny. It's your cause. You should wear something special.' He said, 'Something nice for your initiation.'  
  
'Rex?' she asked.  
  
'Yes.' He said.  
  
' Can I take my Hobbit father with me?' she asked, ' He would so love it their.'  
  
Rex seemed to shudder with anger for a second, but then he turned around and said, 'Of course, anything for you my precious.' He kissed her on the cheek and left, leaving Amethyst standing on her own, still looking in the mirror.  
  
Suddenly her face changed from slight disappointment to determination. She stroked her pendant, just for a second, and turned around. There, on the bed lay a purple dress. Yes, it was as purple as her eyes, but it had black thread running through it, creating the pattern of flowers on it. It wasn't a puffy thing, as it hung down, showing off her new body, yet revealing nothing below her shoulder.  
  
It slid on perfectly, no effort needed to get it on. She looked into the mirror, and smiled. She had found the right thing to wear.  
  
**********  
  
Well, this is the end. The end of Amethyst for a little while. I've tried to get all of the fellowship in the story, even if it's just a cameo role, just for kicks. But not Boromir. He's dead and should stay that way. Otherwise he'd be a zombie or something.: P  
  
Please review, but it will be a whole lot better if you read as well as review. (Or send me money. I HAVE to buy the artwork of the fellowship. Damn work laws!!)  
  
Well, until next time. Bye-eeeeeee 


	18. The Greatest plans of mice and men...

Chapter eighteen - The greatest plans of mice and men.  
  
Well, if you know the quote, you'll guess what the next chapters called already. Sorry for not updating, but here it is. Good news! Just three or four more chapter of Amethyst after this, or possibly a sequel, depending on it's popularity. Or I might just get around to writing out the starting idea for this, i.e the original fic in my head that inspired this.  
  
Less with me, more with that!  
  
Let's see what happens next.  
  
**********  
  
'I hate Rex, don't you?' asked Ebony to one of her dolls, as she walked down stairs, 'He doesn't play with me any more, ever since that AMETHYST came along. Well, you and me are going to teach him a lesson, aren't we Liberth?'  
  
The doll looked at her through the green glassy eyes as Ebony held it up, talking to it as if it were real.  
  
'He won't play with me as he's got his new toys, so I'll let them go. And after that I'll find him and tell him, and then I'll kiss him, and kiss him, and then I'll CUT him.' she said, bring out her knife. 'I'll cut him and cut him until he's ever so sorry, and he'll have Amethyst killed, and then we'll live happily ever after, won't we Liberth?'  
  
The doll looked at Ebony impassively. 'What? You don't think I can let them go?' said Ebony, 'I can. I can and I will, as I know the key to the locks he's got on those things, don't we Liberth?'  
  
The doll looked back at her, not moving at all. Ebony put the knife to the dolls neck, 'Am you know what I'll do to him? I'll cut him here!' she cut the doll's neck, 'and here, ' she cut the doll's arm, 'And here!' she cut the doll's body, 'AND HERE, AND HERE, AND HERE, AND HERE..' She shouted, slashing at the doll's body madly. It's stuffing all came out as she hacked at the body, mutilating it beyond all recognition. Her eyes were blackening, her face contorted into a crazy smile of pure malice. After she had destroyed it, she looked at it, puzzled.  
  
'It's your own fault you're broken Liberth.' Said Ebony, 'You let yourself get hurt.' She dropped the maimed doll on the floor, the porcelain head cracking on the floor, the shards of china clattering all over the floor.  
  
'I'm going to let Rex's toys go, and then I'll find Rex, and I'll kiss him and kiss him and then I'll cut him!' she said, whispering to herself. 'And then I'll make Amethyst go away, and then we'll all be happy!' she muttered to herself. 'I'll make that Amethyst go away.'  
  
**********  
  
'Rhiannon?'  
  
'Yes Gimli?'  
  
'How's that plan going?'  
  
'Not Very well. At the moment, I've burned my wrists, but I haven't done much else.'  
  
Gimli and Rhiannon were quiet for a moment and Gimli said, 'Well, if this is the end, I'd like to say I'd miss you, but I don't really know you that well.'  
  
'Nor do I.' Said Rhiannon, 'But hopefully,' she said, trying to break the chains again, 'We'll have plenty of time afterwards to find out.'  
  
Rhiannon's wrists were in agony, as she tried to escape again. She screamed in the pain. 'No, that doesn't work either.' She said.  
  
'So, how long do you think we have?' asked Gimli.  
  
'I have no idea.' Said Rhiannon truthfully, ' This place doesn't seem to have any proper time in it. It seems only have time pass as the nymphs wish.'  
  
'Meaning?'  
  
'That we could be here for days, or just seconds and not know about it.'  
  
'I still don't understand.' Said Gimli.  
  
'It means that we could have been here for years, even though it feels a few days, or that these few day's are but seconds in our normal lives. I cannot tell.'  
  
Gimli sighed again. 'Is it me, or do I heard voices?' asked Gimli.  
  
Rhiannon listened. 'Yes, I do, but what of it? They must be in the next cell.'  
  
'Listen closer.'  
  
Rhiannon did so. 'Gandalf!' she exclaimed, 'Gandalf! And I think Legolas also!'  
  
**********  
  
Gandalf sighed, 'I cannot get the charm off these chains. It is a sort of magic I have never come across before. '  
  
Frodo, Sam and Legolas groaned collectively. 'Well, what are we to do?' asked Legolas, 'I mean, you don't have your staff, my arms broken, and I doubt if Frodo or Sam have any ideas.' He looked at them, 'Do you?'  
  
'No, I don't.' said Frodo.  
  
'I do.' Said Sam.  
  
'See, just as I.WHAT?' said Legolas.  
  
Sam smiled. ' Well, while all of you used your heads and your hands, I've been using my ears. Some-ones coming to let us out.'  
  
At that cue, the door opened, and in came an Elf like Nymph. She had bright black eyes, and dark black hair, which fell down to her waist in straight lines. She wore a figure hugging, back dress, red in colour, like blood.  
  
She walked up to them and said, 'Why are you here?'  
  
Frodo looked at her, and tried to stand up. He succeeded, and stood up to her, saying, 'I've come to help you find Amethyst!'  
  
Ash sat up, sneering at her, trying to rip his chains off, 'If you've touched her I swear you'll pay..'  
  
The nymph laughed. 'No, Amethyst's fine. But I've come to let you go. If Rex isn't going to play with me, I'll take away his toys for being naughty.'  
  
This confused them, but when someone is offering to let you go when you are chained up and about to be killed, you let them do the talking.  
  
She touched Gandalf's chain, and they opened instantly. 'Go, ' she whispered, 'Go and get Amethyst, take her away from here.'  
  
Gandalf nodded, and got up. She touched Legolas's chain, and it opened with a ping, and a bolt of black lightening. She helped him up, and looked at his arm.  
  
'Did Rex break you?' she asked. Before Legolas could answer, she had twisted his arm, and the black lightening ran down his arm. He screamed in the pain, but then, when he had got over the shock, he felt his arm.  
  
'It's not broken.' He said, 'It isn't broken!'  
  
The nymph ignored this as she let Frodo and Sam go. Then, when she came to Ash, she went right up close to him. ' I know you.' She said, 'And I know Rex really, really likes you.'  
  
Ash gave her a dirty look. He looked as if he could spit in her face. He didn't, but the nymph stood up tall and said, 'They get to go free, but I've got a special plan for you..'  
  
She brought a knife out from her belt, and felt the blade with her finger. She then lent down and held the knife to his chest. 'I'm going to cut you, and cut you, and make you regret you ever came here!' she said in a stupidly childish voice. She held him by the arm, and raised her knife above her head.  
  
Gandalf and Legolas only realised this when the knife was an inch from Ash's chest.  
  
Then, something happened, so fast that none of them could see what was going on. The knife headed for his chest, but then something happened, and the knife turned on itself, and hit the other nymph in the chest.  
  
Ash got up, shaking as the black-eyed nymph's corpse hit the floor. Wide open, the mouth open in shock, and the eyes staring. The face was contorted with pain. Ash looked at the body for a moment, with everyone else. Frodo was scared. This nymph didn't look like the type ever to die, because there was a manic look about her.  
  
' I think we should go.' Ash said, 'We get Amethyst, and we go.'  
  
'But how are we going to get out?' asked Legolas, 'Gandalf doesn't understand Nymph magic.'  
  
'I am a nymph.' Said Ash, ' And they didn't bank on me being cleverer than I look. That charm was very easy to break, but I just needed to see how.'  
  
Ash walked up to the door, and pushed the door open, and Gandalf, Legolas and the hobbits followed out. Ash picked up the keys from the lock. Outside there were stone steps, leading back up and more dungeons cells further down the hall. There were a few burning splints to serve as lights, and not much else. They would have left just then, but then they heard shouting.  
  
'Quick, we need to get the other prisoners out!' said Gandalf. Ash nodded, and opened the lock, listening to the voices shouting.  
  
As he unlocked the door he heard two voices. One of a girl and one of a male, dwarf by the roughness of it. Ash opened the door to see Rhiannon and Gimli hanging up on the wall.  
  
'Gandalf?' shouted Rhiannon, 'Am I glad to see you!'  
  
Ash ran up to them, and undid the chains. Rhiannon fell to the floor, and got up again. Legolas ran in. 'Gimli?'  
  
'Legolas?'  
  
As Gimli felt to the floor with a bump, and stood up, looking at the elf. Legolas sighed and asked at the same time as Gimli, 'What are you doing here?'  
  
'I'll explain later.' Said Legolas and Rhiannon at the same time. They made their way to the steps, not speaking.  
  
**********  
  
So, Ebony had tried to do that to him. Tried to ruin the plan, thought Rex, but her efforts will be in vain. They will not escape, and we shall create Sidaradiijes on middle earth, and those who try to stop it will suffer!  
  
Rex clicked his fingers and the Green - eyed Nymph appeared in front of him. The nymph knelt down and said, 'My Lord, how may I serve you?'  
  
'The blood for the ceremony has escaped from the dungeons Denver, You couldn't possibly go and stop it running away, could you?' said Rex lazily, 'But make sure no blood is split, it would be a pity to have to put the Nerhurrevd back.'  
  
'What about the hobbits master, are they allowed to be killed?' said Denver, the green-eyed nymph, 'they are just spares.'  
  
'No,' said Rex, 'it will be fun to watch them, squirm.'  
  
Denver nodded, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.  
  
**********  
  
Feet thundered up the steps as Frodo shouted, 'So, what about Amethyst? We need a plan to get her out of here! We have no idea what plan they've got in store for her.'  
  
Rhiannon stopped. 'Frodo, do you know what Amethyst is?'  
  
'Not quite, no.' he said, 'what is she?'  
  
'She's a nymph, but not any nymph.' Said Rhiannon, She is the nymph that control's everything. She can destroy you and us with just half a wish.'  
  
'This is not a good time to talk!' said Gandalf, ' We must leave Rhiannon!'  
  
Rhiannon looked at Frodo for a second when he said, 'The Kathaerdous'  
  
'How do you know about the Kathaerdous?' asked Rhiannon.  
  
'Err..' Started Frodo.  
  
'Wait a second..' Said Rhiannon, 'You knew what she was all along, didn't you? You knew she was a nymph, but you still took her in. You KNEW!'  
  
'RHIANNON!' shouted Legolas, 'we must leave!' Everyone stopped moving, while they looked at Frodo.  
  
'Don't say that!' said Sam, defending his master,' Mr Frodo would never do a thing like that, would you? ' Said Sam. He looked at his master. Frodo couldn't look at him. 'Would you Mr Frodo.'  
  
'Sam, I'm so, so sorry' he whispered looking away, ' but I knew. I knew from the moment I read what was written on her pendant. I knew, and I took her in. '  
  
'Mr Frodo, I though you couldn't read.' said Sam, his eyes widening.  
  
'I could. But I fell in love with her, I couldn't leave her. I'm sorry, so, so, sorry.' Said Frodo, looking away. He looked as if her was about to burst into tears.  
  
Sam was astonished, but all that he could say was, ' Mr Frodo..'  
  
'I know, I know' said Frodo wretchedly, 'I know, I was a fool, a stupid idiot, and I'm sorry, Sam, I'm sorry I've risked all our lives..'  
  
'There is no time for that now!' said Rhiannon, picking him up, 'We have to get out of here!'  
  
Frodo held onto her, while she practically pulled Sam up the stairs. As they saw the light at the top of the stairs, Rhiannon sighed a sigh of relief.  
  
Ash seemed overjoyed, and said, 'We're nearly out! All we need is a plan to get Amethyst out and then..'  
  
The light suddenly disappeared. They all stopped simultaneously. Ash never finished his sentence. Instead, he looked up and said, 'I think we've been found out.'  
  
Rhiannon, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Frodo and Sam looked up all at the same time. At the top of the stairs, a green eyed nymph stood. 'Hello.' He said, 'If you would co-operate, this would be so much easier..'  
  
Rhiannon turned around. Yes, nymphs behind as well as well as in front. Ash rushed at the green-eyed nymph.  
  
No one even had a chance to say a word as he was knocked to the ground, tumbling down a few steps.  
  
'See what I mean?' said the green-eye nymph. He then grabbed Gandalf and brought out a rope. He was tied and then the Green-eyed nymph brought out a heavy chain. He clicked his fingers, and Rhiannon was tied up, before she could do anything, followed by the others.  
  
They were carried up somehow, and none of them made a sound. They had failed.  
  
**********  
  
Sam woke up. His head hurt, and he couldn't remember a thing. He sat in semi-darkness. It was quiet dark and damp, unable to see much without having to strain his eyes. Then, like a bright light in his head he heard someone say, 'They've been in there with Gandalf and Ash for a good twenty minutes; I don't care what Rhiannon says.'  
  
He was with other people, which comforted him. Sam blinked. He remembered it all now, as they had been taken to this.cave. He couldn't describe it in any other way. It might have been a hall, but it had not been constructed by any living being, but by time itself.  
  
From the walls hung stalactites and stalagmites each one dripping with ice cold, rancid water. One of those droplets hit Sam in the face at that moment. It felt like orc water to him, slimy and oily.  
  
Sam, much to his mistake, tried to move. As he moved his hands, he heard the noise of chains clinking, and realised that they, whoever they were, had put the chains back on, but now were a thousand times worse. They burned at his skin in an uncomfortable way, almost as if they had been heated. He held the manacles up closer to his face.  
  
Why oh why couldn't he have left his master? Why couldn't he just have stayed at home? He knew he would be dead quiet soon, and Rose would be left all alone at Bag End, wondering where on earth he was, and could be. He felt as is his head was full of cotton wool, or as if he had drunk a bit too much the day before.  
  
It was mostly silence, except for the occasional sound of someone sighing, or chains moving. He strained his ears, hearing what sounded like a man in pain or moaning. Sam couldn't take the silence. He felt himself feel around, and, on finding a body asked, 'Hello, are you all right?'  
  
Sam shook the thing under his hand, trying to find some light. 'Hello?' he whispered, ' Are you all right?'  
  
The thing moaned and said, 'Sam, stop it!' Sam strained his eyes. It was Mr Frodo, lying there. His face looked swollen on the left side, as if he had been hit hard with something and a cut just under his right eye.  
  
Sam gasped. 'Oh, Mr Frodo.. What did they do to you?'  
  
Frodo strained his big blue eyes to see who it was that was trying to pick him up. 'Sam? Oh, Sam, they've hurt you..' He said.  
  
'Mr Frodo, what happened? I can't remember much.'  
  
'Oh, Sam, ' said Frodo almost bursting into tears, 'If they are doing this to us, what must they being to poor Amethyst, she's just a child.. Sam, when they found us, after they tried to tie us up, I think we began to try to fight against them. I don't know, but they just picked me up and hit me, before I passed out.'  
  
'I swear, if those things have hurt you, I'll..' Started Sam.  
  
Frodo laughed as best as he could with his face hurting like it was. 'Sam, they did even worse to you than they did to me. I mean, can't you feel where they kicked you?'  
  
Sam's chest did feel a bit odd. Like he had been numbed, yet something inside was broken. 'Yes, I can Mr Frodo.' Said Sam, 'But, what's going on? Where's Gandalf, and that yellow-eyed boy?'  
  
'I don't know about Gandalf, ' said Frodo, 'but the boy is still out of it.' Frodo pushed Ash's body. He seemed so vulnerable like this, unable to wake up, and lying on the ground, chained.  
  
'Do you know where Legolas and Gimli are?' Sam asked.  
  
'I'm here Samwise Gamgee.' Said a rough voice; like that he had heard before.  
  
'Gimli?'  
  
' Yes, we're unlucky they aren't like normal guards. They came after us in groups of at least three, not like usual, when they run at us one by one. '  
  
'They practically had strategy.' Said Legolas, 'And groups such as these rarely use strategy.' There was a horribly strained note in his voice, as if he was in even more pain.  
  
'Legolas, how's that arm?' asked a female voice. In Rhiannon's chained hand, she had managed to find a piece of wood, and light a fire that cut a little way into the darkness, allowing them to see each other.  
  
'I don't like this.' Said Rhiannon, ' These aren't like the bad guys I usually fight against. They're smart. They know better than to leave us unguarded in an easily escapable situation.' She nodded to six guards who were watching them. 'They don't mind us talking, as long as we don't do anything. You know these chains? They're bolted to the floor. I've already tried to get out of them, and apart from making my wrists feel like they're burning ice, I haven't been able to do much.'  
  
'So, what do they want us for?' asked Sam, 'It would be so much better just to kill us now, rather than risk us escaping.'  
  
'Well, ' her voice went down to a whisper, 'They need blood for what's going to happen, and they need it to be as fresh as possible, as two parts of the blood they have already is old, so it will be less potent. '  
  
'But that doesn't explain why the hobbits are very much alive.' Said Gimli, tactfully as ever.  
  
'I don't know, ' said Rhiannon, 'But Legolas, I need to tell you something. They are going to kill you.'  
  
'Why?' he asked.  
  
'They need your blood.' She said.  
  
**********  
  
Gandalf returned with the green-eyed nymph, but did not look like he had been tortured. In fact, the green-eyed nymph looked like he had himself been told off by Gandalf himself.  
  
One of the guards walked right up to Frodo and kicked him. 'Up hobbit!'  
  
Frodo tried to get up, but as he did, he managed to fall over a spare chain. As he hit the ground, the guard threw out his hand, forcing Frodo to be pulled up.  
  
The guard kicked Frodo again, 'GO!' he shouted.  
  
Sam jumped up and said, 'you can't treat my master like that!'  
  
The guard grabbed Samwise by the neck, and tightened. 'I'll treat your master how I like little rat!' he said, and put him back down, chaining him to Frodo.  
  
Another guard put a metal collar around Frodo's neck, with a piece of string on it. Attached to the collar, were several lengths of chain and more collars.  
  
The green-eyed nymph came up to the guard and took a piece of string, while he gave Gandalf to yet another guard. One of the guards attached the collar to Sam, and then manhandled Legolas up, forcing the elf's neck into the collar, and locking it. He did the same to Rhiannon and Gimli, but when it came to Ash, still out cold, he picked him up like a baby and touched his forehead with one hand.  
  
He said something in a language neither Frodo, Legolas nor Rhiannon understood, and soon, Ash's large yellow eyes opened.  
  
'What?' he asked.  
  
'Stand up!' said the guard harshly. Ash stood up, still in a half daze.  
  
The guard out the collar on and then grabbed Gandalf, putting the collar on him.  
  
'We will now go to the hall.' Said the Green-eyed nymph, 'But first, we should remove some of these chains.  
  
He clicked his fingers, and then the shackles attaching them to the floor disappeared. Then, quickly, shackles attaching them to each other appeared, making sure none of them could make a run for it.  
  
Then the green eyed one shot out his hand, making the sensation of someone lighting a flame nears Frodo's legs appear, and shouted, 'FORWARD HOBBIT!'  
  
**********  
  
'Amethyst?' she sat up over her bed, which was now visible. She had been trying out levitation; just to see how it felt, but now wasn't the time to think about that.  
  
She lowered herself back onto the bed, and looked up at the person who was talking.  
  
Rex sat on the bed next to her. 'You look nice.' He said, 'I like the purple and black, how did you come up with it?'  
  
'I don't know.' Said Amethyst, giggling like she was in some happy waking dream, 'I just though of it and.' she smiled.  
  
Rex smiled. 'It's the perfect thing for your initiation. Come on moppet.' He stood up gave her his hand. She smiled again, and took his hand.  
  
***********  
  
What's going to happen next? What the hell is the Nerhurrevd when it's at home? Why is this fic far too long?  
  
This, and some of the many other questions you might be asking might possibly be answered in the following chapters, but probably not. 


	19. ....Often go astray

Chapter Nineteen -.Often go astray.  
  
Hey hey! Chapter nineteen and a few questions get answered in this damn thing.  
  
1/ what is the Nerhurrevd, and what is it all about? 2/ who are Amethyst's mother and father? (If you haven't guessed pretty much already) 3/is this writer insane? (yes)  
  
These and more questions get answered, so read and review!  
  
**********  
  
'What's going on?' asked Frodo to a passing nymph for about the sixth time. Things were starting to get more busy, more anxious, as thing went on. They had been stood, chained up at one end of the hall, while more and more nymphs seemed to pour into the hall.  
  
The hall was large, and had large windows, without stained glass, but let the sunlight in. It was simply made, not exactly the kind of grand hall you would usually have in a castle. There was a distinct lack of finery and tapestries on the wall, but there were many weapons on the walls, and a fair few wizards staffs. It was odd, he though, that they should have weapons. They didn't need them.  
  
There was a sort of Altar in the middle of the hall, being just a table. There was nothing on it, but some chains, a large chalice and a very long white knife. He didn't have to think much to work out what it was for, especially by the look of the stains on them.  
  
The nymphs hid themselves in long brown robes, carrying only swords slung around them with a belt, and large walking sticks, like the sort Bilbo used to have, until he left. What would Bilbo have done in this situation?  
  
Frodo had a habit of thinking that, even though he had been through worse situations than Uncle Bilbo. Frodo looked at Legolas. He looked a lot better when the Green-eyed nymph had "cleaned him up." Frodo had feared this meant something completely different, but it didn't. It meant that all of them had whatever they had been injured cleared up completely. The green- eyed nymph seemed to know where it hurt instantly, and made Frodo feel so.. At peace. A little like Amethyst did, but this time, it was because he was so much stronger than he was, rather than Amethyst made him feel. She made him feel as if he were a knight in shining armour, rather than a small hobbit lad to be protected.  
  
He had fixed Sam up pretty well, but Frodo couldn't keep his eyes off him. It was worse than elves. The green-eyed nymph had put on his robe, and stood in the crowd, waiting for whatever it was.  
  
The nymphs. There were old ones, although none looked older than fifty, there were ones that looked little older than about six. They all wore the macabre costume, none of them smiling, laughing or look sad or upset. None of them held any emotion on their faces, but nervous anticipation.  
  
There were two little nymph boys standing by the doors to the entrance, wearing the same robes, but this time in a rich plum, and in their hands they held gold cups with a substance inside which Frodo couldn't see. People fussed over them, making sure they were all ready for the ceremony.  
  
A robed figure came over to them, sweeping over the floor like a dark cloud. None of them could see the face, as the hood covered it.  
  
The figure came over to them, and stopped, looking at them. Then, quiet casually, it slipped the hood off.  
  
'Rex!' said Rhiannon.  
  
'Hello!' said Rex, as if this was a everyday occurrence, 'I just though I'd come and see how our "special" guests are.'  
  
'Fine before we saw you.' She said harshly.  
  
'Well, ' he said, sitting down to join them, 'I though I'd tell those who don't know what's going on, what is!' he grinned at Frodo, ' This is your first ceremony of this kind, and it is for a lot of us here, even our friend Denver.' He looked over to the crowd. They saw the green eyed nymph talking to another one.  
  
'And you have?' asked Rhiannon, even though Gandalf gave her a warning look.  
  
'I have.' Said Rex modestly, 'When I slaughtered all the people who had ever hurt me by making their power work against them. I took some of the blood of their people, and then.. It was just a matter of the right incantations and watching them flee in terror as I brought a plague of death upon their city. '  
  
He turned to Frodo, and ruffled his hair like a small boy's. ' I see this is your first time, so let me explain what's going on.' Said Rex pleasantly, as if to a child,' First of all, your friend Gimli, Ash and Legolas are going to brought up to the alter, and have their wrists slit,' he did the action, 'while I make the blood holy for the almighties that allow us to exist. Then, we will mix up the blood, and give a little bit of it to Rhiannon here.' He said pointing to her.  
  
She snarled at him, and bit at his finger as he pointed at her.' You..'  
  
'Then, ' said Rex ignoring her, ' The Kathaerdous, the girl you know as Amethyst, Will drink some of the blood. Then, she will spread the rest of the blood over the floor. At that point, her full destiny will be achieved, and she will be joined by many of those like her to destroy the mess the free peoples and unfree people have made of it, replacing it with Sidaradiijes, the place of freedom.'  
  
'So where do the hobbits come into this?' asked Frodo, hating the nymph more every moment.  
  
'They don't.' said Rex plainly, 'You are just a complication, brought in by Amethyst's mad mommy, but a cute complication!' he said, touching the end of Sam's nose, ' If it wasn't for the fact that Sidaradiijes was just for nymphs, I'd like to have you come along as pets.'  
  
'What have you done with my Amethyst?' said Frodo as threateningly as he could.  
  
'Your Amethyst?' laughed Rex, 'She was never your Amethyst. She's mine. She's my daughter, not yours!'  
  
'What have you done with her!' Frodo demanded.  
  
'Oh, I just let her see what she really is, her potential, her power. I allowed her to become something she really was. She's caught up very well for some one with such a drawback in her life..' Frodo couldn't even try to talk. His face turned red as he furiously threw his shackled hands out for Rex's throat.  
  
Rex didn't even bother to fight back. He rolled back, and shot out his hand. Frodo was forced back by an invisible force. He hit the wall, cursing under his breath.  
  
Rex stood up. He clicked his fingers and said, 'Hey! Russell.'  
  
A nymph ran out of the crowd, and lifted his hood. 'Yes sir?'  
  
'Don't you think this one needs a muzzle?' said Rex, jokingly.  
  
The nymph known as Russell laughed. 'Yes sir! But we won't have to deal with that soon, will we?'  
  
'No.' said Rex, 'no we won't. ' Rex smiled at them, and walked off. 'Get prepared for the last ceremony in your life!' he shouted, and walked out.  
  
'So, any last words anyone?' said Rhiannon.  
  
'You haven't got a plan for this one?' asked Gandalf.  
  
'Yes, but only Gimli and I know it, and it's pretty risky.' She said, 'I can't tell you here, but be prepared to run.'  
  
Sam found himself leaning back on the wall. They were all chained together, and he would watch Frodo, as he would have to watch his daughter drink the blood of his friends. All in all, he was starting to wish he had never gone into that house sixteen years ago, on a whim.  
  
There was no time for such thoughts, as Rex had returned to the hall, wearing long, red patterned robes. He didn't keep the hood over his face, but wore a mask. The mask was of a dragon's head, with gold, red and black scales on it. It was rich, covered in different shades of blacks and reds, with the mouth wide open, with huge teeth. Inside was Rex's face, smiling and chanting something in a language Frodo didn't understand. He was followed by the two boys Frodo had noticed earlier, holding the cups, looking as regal as they could. They walked to the altar, every nymph they passed bowing, and stood back up.  
  
At the altar, Rex threw his hands into the air theatrically and shouted, 'ENTER THE KATHAERDOUS, TO PERFORM THE NERHURREVD AND CREATE SIDARADIIJES!' There was silence, and he shouted, 'ENTER THE KATHAERDOUS! ENTER NOW!'  
  
There was the sound of faint footsteps walking slowly, and at the door to the hall, a young woman stood. She had long dark red hair, and fair skin, with just a few freckles on it. She wore a long purple and black dress, dragging along the floor. She had bright, purple eyes, and looked as if she were just about twelve.  
  
Her long, straight hair fell down her back, and looked as if someone had styled it to have a bit of bounce in it. Her face was a little nervous, but she smiled and walked with purpose.  
  
When she reached the Altar, six small stone slabs from the floor rose, and hung in the air. The two little boys put the cups on two of them. They then reached into their cloaks, and brought another two out. The boys stepped back, and Rex gave her the knife. The girl looked at it uncomprehendingly.  
  
Frodo knew her, but he couldn't recognise her. He knew her face, every freckle off by heart, the shape of the nose and mouth, yet, he didn't know her. He found himself looking at her, following her every move down the hall. He felt he had known her for a long time, but he couldn't recognise her.  
  
He wouldn't have known her if it hadn't been for the pendant around her neck. 'Amethyst?' he whispered below his breath. 'What have they done to her?'  
  
She took the knife, and waited for something. Rex clicked his fingers, and two nymphs stepped out of the crowd, walking towards Legolas. He hung his head, as he had no hope left. The nymphs undid his chains, and dragged him up.  
  
Fight back Legolas, thought, hoped Frodo, please fight back at them. Even if it doesn't do any good, It'll seem like we actually tried to do something. Please!  
  
Legolas walked, being pulled along by them. He looked at Frodo's face, and looked away, tears in his eyes. A guard pulled him along, but they both knew it was too late to do anything.  
  
Legolas was manhandled onto the table, held down by Guards. Legolas lay there, looking far braver than anyone else did in the hall, as he waited silently for death. Amethyst raised her hands, the knife held between them..  
  
'NO' shouted Frodo, 'NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!'  
  
Rex sighed and said, 'Someone restrain the little moppet.' The green-eyed nymph came out from the crowds, and grabbed Frodo, putting his hand over his mouth.  
  
'NO! DON'T DO IT AMETHYST!' Frodo tried to shout. The Green-nymphs hand muffled it. 'YOU CAN'T DO THIS!'  
  
'Be quiet!' The Green eyed nymph hissed, 'Be quiet!'  
  
'Please, ' Frodo pleaded, 'Please don't let them do this to my Amethyst!'  
  
Amethyst held the knife high up, and brought it down slowly, changing the way it was held, just to cut the wrist. Rex chanted over her as she watched the scarlet liquid come rushing out of his arm, crawling along it. Legolas had screwed up his eyes in the pain.  
  
Amethyst got the cup, and collected the blood in it, draining him. Legolas, even like this looked graceful and beautiful, even as he was bled and put under the agony.  
  
Frodo couldn't believe his eyes. Here was Amethyst, who wouldn't hurt a fly, hurting Legolas. When she seemed to have enough blood, she put the cup on one of the free floating slabs. It did nothing, but she lent over Legolas, and kissed where she had cut him sweetly.  
  
'Let him go Rex. He has served his purpose.' Said Amethyst, 'Let them all go after this.'  
  
'I will pet.' He said with little conviction.  
  
The guards dragged him up, and chained him back up. They then Dragged Gimli up. He wasn't going to take this lying down, like Legolas had. As soon as he was unchained, he kicked out at the guards, leaping up and punching them, trying to escape, but it was no use.  
  
Within a second, one of the nymphs had shot out his hand, somehow paralysing him, to the point where his body couldn't move, but crumpled to the floor. They picked him up and placed him on the table. Rex waited a moment before chanting again, and this time, Amethyst didn't raise the knife above her head, but made the cut clean and true.  
  
Frodo couldn't turn his head away. He couldn't believe it. His daughter, his little lass were doing this! She was the one bleeding Gimli dry. She was the one collecting the blood in a cup, draining it off his skin. Gimli seemed disturbed by this, but didn't say a thing. Frodo found the green- eyed nymph holding one of his hands.  
  
'This can't be happening.' Said the Green-eyed nymph, 'Rex can't be getting her to do this. He's taking pleasure in a job that shouldn't have pleasure in it. He's wrong, so wrong..'  
  
Frodo struggled, and the green-eyed nymph held him tighter. 'Frodo, ' he said, mysteriously knowing his name, ' don't struggle. There's nothing either of us can do.' Frodo stopped struggling.  
  
Amethyst put the cup on one of the slabs, and stroked Gimli's arm with one of her fingers. 'Hush master Dwarf,' she said, 'It is nearly over.'  
  
She nodded at the guards, who put him back into his chains, and took Ash out of the chains. Ash did not fight, but walked in pride. 'I have been trying to avoid my fate.' He said, 'But now, I feel the desire to be a part of this.'  
  
He walked up to the table, and kissed Amethyst sweetly on the lips. ' I shall do anything you want.' He said.  
  
Rex seemed annoyed by Ash's behaviour, and rammed Ash onto the table.  
  
'NEVER TOUCH AMETHYST!' he shouted into his face, ' DON'T YOU EVER DARE TOUCH HER!' he slapped Ash around the face, and said to Amethyst, ' Get this done, and quickly!'  
  
Ash lay in a way that allowed Amethyst to cut him. But she didn't, not immediately. She looked him in the eyes, and tears started in them. 'Ash, why?' she asked, as if any answer would break it.  
  
'This is my sacrifice, for all of you.' He said, 'So you can go to the Sidaradiijes.' Rex looked at Ash, loathing him, with abhorrence to the way Amethyst didn't want to kill him.  
  
Amethyst looked at him, and turned around to Rex. 'Do I have to Rex?' she asked, 'Must I do this?'  
  
'YES!' he snapped.  
  
She seemed scared of Rex, but finally she nodded, and tears running down her face, she made the cut. Ash's face didn't change, as if he didn't notice what Amethyst was doing to him. She sobbed, and waited for the cut to bleed.  
  
She kept whispering below her breath, 'Please, don't make me do this, I can't!'  
  
Ash just lay there peacefully, waiting for himself to bleed. He closed his eyes, and slowly a golden trickle ran out of his arm. Amethyst couldn't stop crying. This was so wrong, so wrong.. She collected some blood, as it ran richly into the cup like liquid gold.  
  
He cried as she said, 'It is finished.'  
  
The guards picked him up and chained him back up. Amethyst put the cup gently on one of the stone slabs. Rex put the large chalice on the main table, and passed a cup to Amethyst, still crying.  
  
'Come on darling.' He said, 'Just say the magic words, and then we'll try them out on Rhiannon over there.'  
  
'A-a-a-All right then. ' She said, wiping the tears from her eyes, 'I will.'  
  
Rex pasted a cup to her, and she said,  
  
'Learn the lore of living creatures!  
  
First name the five of the free peoples:  
  
'Eldest of all, the elf children.' she said, fighting back the tears. She took the cup with Legolas's blood in it and poured it into the chalice, slowly. She put it back, and breathed in, trying to make herself calm down, but she couldn't.  
  
'Nymphs the powerful, as sweet as there looks.' She said, reaching for the cup with Ash's blood in it. She felt herself wince as she picked up the cup, full of the liquid, like the sun. She poured it in slowly, and put the cup down carefully, a fresh wave of sods taking over her body.  
  
'Dwarf the delver,' she said, reaching for the cup with Gimli's blood in it,' dark are his houses;' she poured it in, hating herself even more as it went on.  
  
'Ent the earth born, old as the mountains;' she said, pouring in the sap coloured blood, allowing it to intertwine and mix with the other bloods.  
  
Then, with great pain, she said, ' Man the mortal, master of horses.' She poured it in, and put the cup down. Then, Rex pasted her a silver rod, with an amethyst stone on the end. She put it in, stone first, and slowly mixed the bloods together, looking as if her heart would break.  
  
Rex nodded, and smiled, and looked as if he could whoop with joy.  
  
'These five bloods, ' said Amethyst, 'Given and used uniting, will fee our people.'  
  
Rex grabbed the chalice and said, 'I must try it!'  
  
He rushed over to Rhiannon. When he reached her, two guards pulled her head back, and forced her mouth open. Gimli shot forward, but some guards kicked him back again. She screamed out, trying to force them off her, but no on avail. She kicked and screamed up to the point until they forced her to swallow the blood. She held it in her mouth for but a second, but some of it slipped down her throat. It didn't burn or anything, but it tasted vile, like water mixed with iron filings and rotting bones.  
  
She spat it out, almost covering Rex in the horrible fluid. It ran down her face, as if she were a vampire, and scowled at him.  
  
The whole hall waited a few seconds. The guards freed her hands, and she wiped her mouth, covering the right side of her face with blood, and the back of her hand. This resulted in her smothering part of her face with the horrible red liquid.  
  
'You're not dead?' asked Rex, unbelievingly.  
  
She did not respond, but look at him. Amethyst looked on, hoping against all hopes that this was just a bad dream, and that she'd wake up, to find herself back at home, back at Bag End, and this was all some sort of make believe. In all the stories she had read and made up, about now Frodo of the Shire and Queen Elanor would have burst in, fighting and saving Amethyst the Red from her fate, but this wasn't like the stories.  
  
She was one of the bad people. But she realised that the he bad people weren't always the ones who wished for bad things, or did evil deeds, but sometimes, like her, they were the ones that didn't stop them from happening.  
  
She looked on, too scared to fight back. There was nothing she could do at all. Rhiannon just stared at him, sullenly gawking at him.  
  
'What have I done wrong!' Rex said, standing up, talking to the room in general, and talking like a mad man. 'I've got blood from a Kathaerdous. I've got the other Kathaerdous to perform the ceremony. I've got the blood of the five free races. I've performed the Nerhurrevd to ever expectation that tradition requires, how come you're not dead, and I'm not in Sidaradiijes with my people! What have we done wrong?!'  
  
No one spoke. Amethyst put the knife with a loud clink on the table. She wrung her hands. She hoped beyond hopes it would be called off or something. As far as she was aware, this was just her initiation, and no club or family could be this important. To have to hurt people.  
  
Rex swung his whole body around, to look at Rhiannon. 'You KNOW don't you!' he raged, 'YOU KNOW!'  
  
He lent over her, and slapped her hard across the face. 'TELL ME WHAT I DID WRONG BITCH!'  
  
She didn't say a thing, so he hit her hard across her face again. This forced her head back, slamming against Legolas's bad arm. Legolas winced. Rhiannon moved her head back to where it was. Rex slapped her face so it went the other way, hitting Gimli's arm. The armour he wore made her face hurt. She moved her head back.  
  
'TELL ME!' Rex screeched, and lifted her up by her robes. The chains rattled, and Rhiannon looked up at him. 'WHAT HAVE WE DONE WRONG!' he screamed.  
  
'I won't tell you!' she shouted, 'I'd never tell you, even if my life depended on it!'  
  
He punched her in the stomach, and let go of her, chains clattering to the floor with her.  
  
'Well, your life DOES depend on it.' Said Rex, 'but I think maybe it's something else I should do.' He grabbed Gandalf and Gimli, dragging them up. 'It'll tear their throats out right here and now, as well as Blondie's and the hobbits. ' He dropped Gandalf with one hand, and shot out his hand, raising all of them about two foot from the ground, except Rhiannon. She looked at all of them. Denver looked at them as well; having had Frodo lifted out of his arms.  
  
'Look at the fear in their eyes, on their faces.' Said Rex tauntingly, 'Look at all of them. Just hanging there, like at any moment, one of their spines could just.. Snap.' At that moment, Rhiannon watched as Frodo's back began to bend..  
  
'Don't do it!' said Gandalf, 'Don't say a word!'  
  
Rhiannon's eyes grew wide, as she had to make a choice she couldn't make. She stared, at them, as Rex's voice cooed, 'Make your choice. Their fate rides on it.'  
  
'REX!' shouted Amethyst, 'Don't touch the hobbits! They have nothing to do with this!'  
  
Rex turned his head. 'Amy, you might not understand now, but one day you will.' He ignored her, and said to Rhiannon, 'Go on Rhiannon. Make your choices..'  
  
Amethyst watched, wanting to stop him, yet she couldn't. She was scared, she couldn't move.  
  
But no one noticed the brown robed figure that gently pushed themselves through the crowds. No one noticed them, not even the people who were being pushed, not until the figure came to the front of the crowd, and threw off their hood.  
  
'REX!' it shouted. He turned around, never expecting to ever have to hear the voice again.  
  
'Aster?' he asked. As he turned around, the prisoners were dropped to the ground, like children's toys.  
  
The woman's eyes glowed as she shook her long red hair back. The robe didn't fit her, the neck dropping down to her shoulder, but never did someone look more menacing.  
  
'It's me Rex. The one you left all those seventeen years ago. The mother of your daughter.' She said, 'The mother of Amethyst. My little babe you threw out of this very castle.'  
  
'Aster?' he said, still in shock, 'I though you were..'  
  
'Dead?' she finished for him. She laughed in a not-very-amused way. 'There were times I wished I were Rex, with you gone, and no one to look after me, but myself. My life seemed to have fallen like a house of cards without your love. But now I can see you.'  
  
'She's a crazy woman!' exclaimed Rex; 'Aster died years ago!'  
  
'I DIDN'T' raged Aster, 'no thanks to you!'  
  
'Denver!' he shouted, 'GET HER!' Denver got up, and strode towards her. He got no further than two steps went her glowing eyes seemed to be on fire, and she raised her hand. He was suddenly propelled to the other side of the room, knocking all the breath out of him.  
  
'Hear me out Rex! ' Shouted Aster, 'this is all wrong! You can't expect this all to work, can you?'  
  
'It might work if you tell me what's missing!' he said, his eyes changing from hate to love. He walked over to her, and then fell to his knees. 'Aster, please! I need you!'  
  
'You don't.' she said, sneering, 'What about Ebony, or isn't she good enough for you?'  
  
'She's dead.' He said, 'And I never loved her. Not like I love YOU Aster.'  
  
'Oh please!' she said, 'could you go any lower?'  
  
She kicked him off, and walked up to Amethyst. 'Mum?' she asked.  
  
'Yes Darling.' She said, 'I never meant to leave you,' pleaded Aster, 'But I couldn't look after you. Not after I knew Rex was after me. I have to give you to the best people I knew, and I had heard Gandalf speak for hobbits. I though It would be a good idea to give you to them. I knew someone would take you in.' Aster looked into Amethyst's eyes, and they hugged. 'I love you Amethyst. I wish I hadn't left you now.'  
  
Amethyst let a tear drop down her face as they hugged. She had never felt such a rush of emotion. Finally, she said, 'I love you Mum.'  
  
Aster let go all of a sudden, and pushed Amethyst out of the way, grabbing her knife. There was a clash of metal on metal, as she blocked Rex's sword.  
  
'I knew you were a nasty little bastard Rex, but never this bad.' She said, 'We've both had a bad life, but it isn't worth it. We've both suffered at the hands of stupid Mortals, but it doesn't mean they're all like that. There are plenty of decent people out there, even if they are in the minority. Do you want to destroy everything just for your stupid grudge against the hand life gave you? Destroy the whole thing just for the stupid, small-minded people out there?'  
  
'Aster, our people have suffered ENOUGH.' He said, both swords kept at constant pressure, 'We have had no freedom since the start of time, ever since we first met the other races. Do you really expect me to give up our freedom for a small amount of do-gooders who help out of an over developed sense of guilt?'  
  
'If it is Freedom you want, then I ask you this.' she said, snarling, 'How can it be true freedom if innocent people have to die?'  
  
Rex drew his sword back, and thrust it into her chest.' There-are-no- innocent- people.' He said, slowly, snarling  
  
She looked down at the sword, and grabbed at it, throwing it on the floor. She gagged, just for a moment, and then, with the bloody sword still in her hand, the knife clattering to the floor, she felt to the floor. A little blood leaked out of the corner of her mouth.  
  
Amethyst found herself looking at the body, wanting to scream, but not being able to. It was like her lungs had frozen, as she watched the body hit the ground. The room was filled with stony silence. He picked up the sword, and stuck it a couple more times into the body, swearing as he did so, the sword making a horrible noise as it went in and out of the body.  
  
Rex turned around to the crowd. ' Well, I hope there's no more surprises like that.' He said. The crowd laughed nervously, in the same way people laugh with a school yard bully.  
  
'NO!' screamed Rhiannon, 'NO! ' But it did nothing but to cause Rex to laugh at her more. He then put his bloody hand on his face, taking off his mask. 'What to do, what to do.' He said to himself, 'What can be missing. Pity she's dead, I can't find out now.'  
  
He wiped his face with his other hand, spreading the blood. 'So, what could be missing.' he looked at the number of tablets that still hovered above the ground.  
  
'I know!' he said, 'We're missing a race! But what race? It can't be fairy, or orc, maybe it's troll.no, maybe it's.' he turned around and looked at Frodo. Very slowly and deliberately, he said 'Half-grown Hobbits, the hole dwellers ' He mused.  
  
Rhiannon's face didn't move. Frodo gulped.  
  
'But we need one of the highest hobbits.' he said to himself. Then he shouted out, 'DO WE HAVE ANY DISTINGUISHED HOBBIT HERE?'  
  
'Maybe lord.' Said a voice from the crowd, 'I here that we have both of the ring bearers here.'  
  
'Maybe.' said Rex, thinking. He grabbed Frodo by the arm and the chains fell off him. 'Frodo, I've got a special job for you.'  
  
Frodo hung by his arm, and Rex threw him on the table like a piece of meat. He chained him down with some convenient chains and shouted, 'Amethyst loves me, NOT you! ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT! I'm her real father; I never had to lie to her about anything. I let her become what she really is. You're going to suffer for every tear you have made her shed, in her heart or on her face. ' Rex's face was practically pressed against Frodo's.  
  
Then he stood up. 'It's a test of Loyalties Amethyst.' Rex pointed at himself.' It's a brand new future with hope,' then he pointed to Frodo on the table,' or a the past, in which your people are all slaves.'  
  
He picked the knife up off the floor. ' Go on Amethyst.' He said, passing her the blood stained object, 'Drain him dry, then take us all to Sidaradiijes.'  
  
Amethyst looked nervously at the knife, toying with it. She walked towards the table, holding it ceremonially, just below her head.  
  
Frodo found himself squirming. She wouldn't, would she? She would never do this to him. Or would she? She did it to Legolas, Gimli and Ash, so why not him? He found himself with his eyes screwed shut, not being able to look. He opened his eyes, and looked Amethyst, holding the knife about his head.  
  
'Amethyst, I still love you.' He whispered, looking away.  
  
She held the knife up, high and brought it down.  
  
********** IT'S NOT FINISHED YET! There is still more to come! I left it at a cliff- hanger for no good reason, other than I wanted to.  
  
There IS more, and a not-very-surprising ending. Whoops! Gave it away!  
  
Well, tune in next time for most of the end. Enjoy! 


	20. The beggining of the end

Chapter Twenty - The beginning of the end.  
  
It's done! DONE DONE DONE!  
  
I'm going to miss it, don't get me wrong, but it's done!!!  
  
Now the time for the predictable end, a sweet end, leaving doors open for sequels, and the rest of the story.  
  
Okay, less with the crap, more with the end. But please look out for the notes I decided to put up at the end, as they will just be interesting.  
  
**********  
  
She held the knife up, high and brought it down.  
  
.Hitting the floor as it dropped. She seemed to be panting as she stood there, looking around at the whole hall.  
  
'To hell with it.' She whispered. Rex looked astounded. Amethyst smiled, and undid the chains that tied Frodo down. As they popped open, she helped Frodo up and hugged him. They didn't need to say any more.  
  
Rex was in outrage. He took the sword out of his belt, and charged at her. Amethyst turned around, picking up the knife and blocking him just in time. She was on the floor, kneeling as she got up, keeping the tension between them constant.  
  
'I made you powerful!' whispered Rex, 'I made you what you really are!'  
  
'I am no killer!' she whispered loudly, the words filled with venom.  
  
'Why give it up all your promise, your powers, your future?' he pleaded,' You could have had everything!'  
  
'Sometimes, ' she whispered her voice cracking with tears, pushing him back, 'Everything isn't enough.'  
  
She took her knife from the block, and went for him. Rex blocked it, once, twice, three times. He threw out his hand, and shot a bolt of Purple-red lightening at her. She dodged it, and fired a bolt of Amethyst purple lightening at him. He dodged also.  
  
Amethyst, under the circumstances did something very odd. She fired another bolt of lightening at him. He sneered, as it was way off his body. But then he looked down at the bottom of his robes. They were burning with a purple flame. He screamed, burning.  
  
Amethyst ran over to the prisoners and let them go. The nymphs didn't know what to do, but before she was half way there, some of them drew their swords.  
  
'NO!' shouted Amethyst, 'You are free to go! The Nerhurrevd is OVER!' some of the nymphs didn't move, not understanding.  
  
Amethyst laughed and said, 'This ceremony is useless! We don't need blood, and promises. We need acceptance. There are many that won't accept you as you are, but there are many that will. You just need to make sure you find them, and not let people like Rex take advantage of your insecurities. GO!'  
  
The nymphs began to file out as Rex, still burning shouted, 'YOU BETRAYED US AMETHYST! YOU BETRAYED US!!'  
  
'NO!' she shouted, 'You betrayed THEM! What you did was wrong, and I was nearly a part of that. You betrayed all of US! ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT!' She went over to Ash and the others, and helped them up.  
  
Rhiannon didn't need instructions. 'We must leave!' she shouted, 'As a reign of terror falls, so does the castle!'  
  
The castle began to shake, dust and rubble falling from the ceiling. Denver hadn't moved during all of this. He stopped Rhiannon and said,' You go with the others, I'll get Frodo, Aster and Amethyst out.'  
  
'What?' she asked, 'You're not a good guy?'  
  
'No,' he said, 'but I'm not a bad guy. Don't argue, GO!'  
  
Rhiannon led them out, while Denver picked up Aster's limp body. Amethyst sat with Frodo, as they hugged and held each other.  
  
'I'm so sorry father.' Amethyst said, 'I'm so sorry for what I've put you through. I wish I never had hurt you.'  
  
'Amy, I'm sorry.' Frodo said, 'I still love you.'  
  
'Come on!' shouted Denver; 'We've got to leave!'  
  
Amethyst looked up, and picking Frodo up, carried him out.  
  
***********  
  
When the castle had collapsed, all that salvageable was the mangled, burned body of Rex. If you looked very carefully at him, although he was horribly disfigured, his chest moved up and down, like he was still breathing.  
  
A Brown-eyed nymph walked past, and dragged the body up. Although it was completely covers in dust and burns, it started to cough in uncontrollable fits.  
  
'Rex, are you all right?' asked the Brown -eyed nymph.  
  
He moved his finger to show he was still alive. The Brown-eyed nymph pulled him from under the rubble, and shouted over to some other searchers, 'LOOK! I've found Rex, and he's ALIVE!'  
  
************  
  
'I knew we couldn't trust him!' said Rhiannon, 'I'm so sorry, I've got to go back!'  
  
'Not yet.' Said Gandalf, 'He may still come!'  
  
'It's been ten minutes!' she pleaded,' let me go back!'  
  
Gandalf was being seen to by Ash, who said, 'Rhiannon, Amethyst is still alive, and so is Aster.'  
  
'Oh, how do you know nymph!' she said, turning on him, 'So what about Frodo? Is he still alive, or are you just looking for a chance to betray us?'  
  
'NO!' said Ash, 'If I wanted to betray you, I'd have done it by now!'  
  
'Oh yeah!'  
  
'Yeah.'  
  
'STOP IT!' shouted Legolas, 'Stop this bickering! I'm sure they'll be here soon. I just want Ash to finish fixing up my arm and Leg, and then you can bicker all you want!'  
  
Gandalf sat under a tree with Sam. 'Are you sure they got out Gandalf?' Sam asked, 'Are you sure?'  
  
'Yes.' Said Gandalf, 'Frodo is a survivor, he wouldn't stay in there.'  
  
At this point Denver approached them and shouted, 'HELLO?'  
  
'Denver?' asked Rhiannon. Then she got up and ran over to him. 'Where's Amethyst?' she demanded, 'And Frodo?'  
  
'I'm here!' shouted a voice. They all turned to see Amethyst carrying Frodo. 'Mr Frodo!' said Sam, his face alight, 'You're all right!'  
  
Amethyst put him down, and said, 'Yes Sam, we'll all be fine.'  
  
Frodo and Sam hugged as Denver and Amethyst looked into the distance with Rhiannon.  
  
'So it's gone.' Said Rhiannon, patting Denver on his shoulder.'  
  
'Yes.' He said, 'It's gone, and so has the dream.'  
  
'Was it really a dream?' asked Amethyst, 'Was it a dream, or was it just revenge, taking a different form.'  
  
'Was the castle actually their?' asked Rhiannon.  
  
'No.' said Amethyst, 'I don't know since when, but I'm starting to learn the difference between fantasy and reality. The castle represented the freedom of nymphs, but what Rex wanted in reality was to rule. To rule is not to have freedom, but power. Power and freedom are not the same. '  
  
They watched, as the castle seemed to collapse very slowly, as if it were moving in slow motion.  
  
'Is it all over for us?' asked Denver. 'All my life I've dreamt of a place like that, and when I got it, I never felt happy. Something was missing, and I though that was Rex's dream. It wasn't. I know it isn't. I watch it all fall, yet I am overjoyed. Maybe none of it was real.'  
  
'Maybe not.' Said Rhiannon, flicking her hair back, 'maybe it was. Maybe Sidaradiijes is where you find it. '  
  
'I think I've lost Sidaradiijes.' Said Amethyst, more to herself, 'And maybe I'm endangering it. ' She looked away from the rest of the group. She blinked slowly, and let tears run slowly down her face. Finally, after what seem like ages, she got up, wiping the tears from her face.  
  
She walked over to Frodo and said, 'Father?'  
  
'Amethyst?' he looked up. She knelt down and said, 'I'm a little taller than I was father.'  
  
'I know.' He said, grinning, 'I remember when I used to be able to pick you up myself!'  
  
Amethyst laughed, 'I'm a little too big for that.' She said, 'But I remember. It was just a week ago.'  
  
'Well, ' said Frodo,' You can come back to the Shire with us, and you can go back to your old form, and we can be together again.'  
  
Amethyst looked away. 'I can't' she said, 'I might be able to do it physically, I might want to, but we both know I can't go back. I'm not a hobbit. If I went back, I would just make things worse.'  
  
Frodo looked down. 'Maybe.' He said, 'Maybe.'  
  
'But I wouldn't leave you with nothing.' She said, taking off the pendant she wore around her neck, 'Arwen gave you her place in the havens, and although I am no authority, you should go. So you can be free. I shall make it possible for you to go.'  
  
'Amethyst..'  
  
'I can't help you any more, I've got to leave you, so you can be happy.' She put the pendant around his neck, and noticed it had changed. It was no longer like a water droplet, but in the shape of a flaming sword. She looked at it in wonder.  
  
Frodo looked at it as well, and she put the pendant on him. 'I can't take this.' He said, 'I can't take this from you.'  
  
'Please?' she asked, 'Please have it. You need it more than me. '  
  
'All right.' Said Frodo.  
  
Amethyst smiled, and lent over to him. She kissed him gently on the lips, and started to disappear. It started from her feet, and went steadily up.  
  
Frodo grabbed onto her face, not wanting to let her go. Amethyst held his face as well, as she kissed him.  
  
'Will I ever see you again?' he asked.  
  
'Yes.' She said, her shoulders disappearing, 'In the wind, the earth, the water. I will come and see you often, my dear hobbit-father. You mean so much to me, for I am only a cloud.' her face disappeared, leaving Frodo feel suddenly all alone.  
  
For some reason some words came into his head.  
  
*When I left, you tried not to cry. I love Your helplessness, you how hate being helpless.  
  
Let me find your heart. Let me Walk you home. I am only a cloud*  
  
He stood alone, his heart grieving for her, a child he should never have had, and he should never have met. A child who only came to him through unhappy fortune.  
  
'She's gone, hasn't she?' asked Ash, walking over from Legolas.Frodo turned around in shock, and realising who it was, sighed.  
  
'Yes.' Frodo said lifelessly, 'She's gone, and I don't think she's ever coming back.'  
  
Rhiannon put her hand on his shoulder. 'It was probably for the best.' She said, 'Come on, If we start now, we probably can get to the sea by tomorrow.'  
  
'Why?' asked Frodo.  
  
'I'm taking you to the havens.' Said Rhiannon, 'Like Amethyst would have wanted for you.'  
  
Frodo looked at her for a second and said, 'Who's going?'  
  
'Oh, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, and you of course.' said Rhiannon.  
  
'What about Sam?' asked Frodo.  
  
'The nymphs shall look after him. Anyway, he has a family now. You shall be amongst those who are as revered and famous as yourself. '  
  
'What about you?' asked Frodo.  
  
'Me?' asked Rhiannon. She laughed mirthlessly. 'I shall stay, help middle earth a bit, help the nymphs out a bit.'  
  
' Where has Amethyst gone?' Frodo asked, 'I must know.'  
  
'She has gone to think about things for a while. She will return, but I will of course look out for her. She needs someone to guide her, to help her.'  
  
Frodo smiled. 'I'm glad she went this way, instead of being forced out. She promised that she would come back to see me.'  
  
Gandalf walked up to Rhiannon. 'Where's Amethyst?' he asked, 'She must be found.'  
  
'She went Gandalf.' Rhiannon said simply, 'She went, and whether she will come back is questionable. '  
  
'I will look after everyone.' Said Gandalf, 'But I know you are the only person, apart from the nymphs, who can go after her.'  
  
'So I will.' Said Rhiannon. She hugged Frodo. 'I'll see you again, and the next time it will be with at least news of Amethyst, I swear on my life.'  
  
She stood up, and went over to Sam.  
  
'Rhiannon?' he asked ' What are you doing?'  
  
'I've got to go, and so will Frodo, somewhere you won't be able to follow for a while, just promise me you'll let him go.'  
  
'But, he won't go anywhere without his Sam' said Sam.  
  
'Sometimes he might have to.' Said Rhiannon, 'But I have a.. Friend who'll look after you. Keep an eye on the Shire, make sure it's safe and so on.' She pointed at Denver; 'He's good at looking after thing.' She said, 'And he seems to have warmed to you hobbits.  
  
'But he's a NYMPH!' said Sam, 'He tortured us, how can I trust him?'  
  
Denver walked over, and knelt down. 'Samwise.' He said, 'For all the harm I have caused everyone, I will suffer a thousand times more inside, and if that is not enough punishment, I wish you to think of punishment for me.'  
  
Denver waited for Sam to throw a punch. 'Hit me, and take your pleasure.'  
  
'No.' said Sam, 'I can see you're sorry. You shall help us protect the Shire?'  
  
'Yes,' he said, 'I would lay my life down for anyone of your kind. All in love of Amethyst.'  
  
Sam nodded, understanding.  
  
'I must leave.' Said Rhiannon, 'Goodbye all of you. I will be back.' Then Rhiannon started to fade, as if she had never existed.  
  
Aster began to wake up. 'What happened?' she moaned. Denver ran over to her side, and helped her up, 'Where's Amethyst?' she asked.  
  
'Gone.' He said.  
  
'Denver, will you help me find her?' she asked.  
  
'No, I cannot.' He said, 'But You will find her again. I know you will.'  
  
Aster got up and started to run away. No one ran after her.  
  
'They're all gone.' Said Gimli;' They all had to go, as they are not quiet like us.'  
  
**********  
  
Sam walked into Bag End dejectedly. Pippin, Merry and Rose sat in the drawing room, waiting for him.  
  
As he went in, Rose shouted, 'SAM! You're home!' She ran up to him and hugged him. He hugged her back, but didn't say a word.  
  
'Where are they?' asked Pippin.  
  
Sam and Rose drew put of their embrace. He saw the tears on Sam's face, and realised what had happened. Rose looked a little ashamed for reasons no one knew.  
  
'He left with her, didn't he?' asked Merry, holding onto Pippin's shoulder for support.  
  
'No. She left and he couldn't follow. At least not for a while.' Said Sam, tears rolling down his face.' He's finally gone.'  
  
Merry and Pippin looked away. Sam hugged Rose, allowing himself to cry into her shoulder. Pippin burst into tears on his own. Merry couldn't stay, with everyone else crying like this. He picked up his cloak, and said, 'I'm just going for a walk.'  
  
**********  
  
Merry walked up a hill to let some steam off. When he reached the top of the hill, he sat down, and then, and only then, allowed himself to cry.  
  
He had to be strong, even if it was just for Pip's sake. Pippin didn't look it, but he took things harder than everyone else did.  
  
Merry couldn't stand to cry, when Pippin needed him. Funny that, he though, he might be forty five, fully grown by hobbit standards, but to Merry, he still was that sweet little cousin, always a little overwhelmed by everything because he was the youngest. He was always the youngest, a little spoilt by everyone else really because of it.  
  
Merry was sad, but he was angry. Very, very angry. Frodo had left without saying goodbye to him and Pippin. That was the thing that was bugging him the most at the moment. Merry looked up, and saw a man sitting with a lantern, looking as miserable as he felt. He had never seen him around the Shire before, and instantly drew his sword.  
  
'Name yourself or prepare to fight!' shouted Merry, rushing towards the figure, still brushing away his tears.  
  
The figure laughed, and raised his hand casually. 'Do not attack me master Merry, for I mean you no harm. I am Denver, the new guardian of the Shire.'  
  
'New Guardian?' asked Merry, putting his sword back, 'What is your Business Master.'  
  
'My only name is Denver, and I shall not have a master on it.' He said, laughing again. 'I believe you wish to say goodbye to your friend, the one who has looked after Amethyst for us.'  
  
'Yes.' Said Merry, not questioning the very queer man.  
  
' I am here Merry.' Said a voice, from a shadow behind Denver. Denver lifted his lantern. He grinned, showing off every one of his perfect teeth.  
  
'Frodo?' he ran and hugged Frodo. Frodo hugged the hobbit back, holding him tightly. 'Oh Valar! Frodo, I though you weren't coming back!' he said, talking into Frodo's shoulder.  
  
'I'm not Merry.' Said Frodo sadly; 'I can't stay here.'  
  
'Why not!' said Merry, 'Give me one good reason!'  
  
' I will continually keep having attacks until I die, or until they consume me. ' Said Frodo, 'There is no way I can stay like that. At least not without Amethyst. Please try to understand. It would be like you trying to live without Pippin, you see.'  
  
'But why Frodo. Everyone here wants you to stay.' Said Merry.  
  
'Please, I can't.' said Frodo, bowing his head,' But I came to say goodbye. Sam has already said it, and now I've said goodbye to you..'  
  
'But what about Pippin?' said Merry angrily, 'Or Sam's broods, or Rose, or anyone else. You haven't though this through!'  
  
'Merry, don't make this harder then it already is.' said Frodo, 'please don't..'  
  
'What about the happy ending?' asked Merry, ' What about "they all lived happily ever after?" I can't live happily ever after, not without you.'  
  
'You read too many book Merry.' Said Frodo, uncharacteristically sarcastically.  
  
'You read most of then to me.' Said Merry. There was an uncomfortable silence.  
  
Then Frodo said, 'Merry, this place isn't real. I mean, We hide away, ignoring the outside world, hoping it'll go away, but it won't. The whole world outside seems to protect us, while we just stretch out our childhood's as far as they will go.'  
  
'Yeah, ' said Merry, 'Aren't they lucky. We know what it's like outside this place, and we know why they fight to keep this place in blissful ignorance.'  
  
'Yes,' said Frodo waving away the thought, 'but will I still be throwing birthday parties with games when I'm seventy?'  
  
'I hope so!' said Merry, without a trace of irony on his face. There was another silence and Merry said,' Frodo, just.. Please stay. I mean, Rose needs you here, especially with the new baby, Pippin needs someone to advise him on being Thain, and what about Sam? You're only starting to understand how important soil is to plants, and you where doing so well..' Said Merry.  
  
'What about you?' asked Frodo.  
  
'What about me?' asked Merry.  
  
'Do you want me to stay?' asked Frodo.  
  
'What kind of question is that? 'Asked Merry.  
  
'An important one.' Said Frodo. They were silent for a moment and then Frodo asked, ' Well, do you?'  
  
'Yes, I want you to stay!' said Merry feeling exasperated. Frodo smiled and hugged him hard.  
  
'Thank you!' said Frodo quietly; 'I needed to know that.'  
  
Merry pulled himself out of his embrace, and patted Frodo on his shoulder. A big round tear fell down Frodo's face. That face which had for many years not aged, and then gained age of many years in the matter of weeks had a tear fall down it, the salty water collecting in ever faint wrinkle on his old, yet young face. Merry almost couldn't believe it.  
  
'Why're you crying Frodo?' asked Merry.  
  
Frodo wiped his face on his sleeve, and said, ' I don't know.'  
  
Merry patted Frodo on the shoulder. 'Come on.' He said, ' I'll get you a drink.'  
  
Frodo grinned at his younger cousin, eyes shinning, and asked, ' Who's buying?'  
  
' You of course.' Said Merry. He put his arm around Frodo's shoulders, and led him down the hill like the old Friend he was. Denver watched them walk down the hill, and watched over the Shire, just for a moment. He closed his eyes, and breathed deeply, but quietly. Then, as the two hobbits forgot all about him, he began to fade, leaving only a glowing jade outline in the shadows for a second, before it also faded.  
  
**********  
  
Denver stood in the havens with Gandalf.  
  
'He decided to stay.' Said Denver.  
  
'But can he ever be happy?' asked Gandalf, 'I mean, after all he's been through.'  
  
'Maybe not.' Said Denver, 'But he's comforted by friends. It's nearly the same.'  
  
'And you? Rhiannon has gone to follow Amethyst.'  
  
'I shall, in time.' He said, 'But for now, I shall stay near the Shire, look after Frodo and all the other hobbits. They're just like children, aren't they?' said Denver, ' Seeing Merry cry was heartbreaking, but for the same reasons of watching a child cry.'  
  
'They are childlike.' Said Gandalf, 'And that's why they need someone like Frodo, or yourself to protect them.  
  
'I see.' Said Denver. Gandalf patted him on the shoulder, and turned his back just for a second, to show Denver one of the plants. 'This plant,' he said, ' Is the silver Rose of the Wizards and witches of the land. Buy many it is called the Angel flower, and by other the Galadriel flower. Some called it the moon Rose, but many more called it the Rhiannon rose. The reason behind this is not known, but many people do.  
  
'It grows anywhere it can, and without any help. But the place where it grows changes how it looks. In a place such as Mordor, it would turn black in time, the soft silver petals soon turning black, and then the petals turning into long spikes that pierce everything short of Mithril. '  
  
Gandalf reached out his hand for the plant, and gave one of the silver flowers to Denver. The nymph looked at it for a moment, and then seemed confused.  
  
'Something like this does not belong to me.' He said.  
  
Gandalf ignored this comment, and said, 'But my dear Denver, if it grows under the loving hand of a gardener, who talks to it every day and waters it, caring for the plant like his own child, then it shall become the most beautiful flower in the world. It shall shine like the moon on a black night, even in the daytime, and it shall grown no thorns, but a soft petal, and leaves made to heel wounded soldiers.'  
  
Gandalf turned around from the plant growing up the wall to see the Denver had disappeared. He sighed, and lent on his staff. Then, to the empty space where Denver should have been he said, 'May Valar help you.'  
  
The sun shone on the flowers, which seemed to lift their heads to see it. If you were one to sit in the Haven's, and not rush to see anyone, but sit and watch the flowers and trees, you would hear the famous song of the Rhiannon Rose, like a chorus of Angels. It was not a loud song, or an exciting long saga, but to those who know the joy of flowers, the will hear the sweet short song of the Rhiannon flower.  
  
No matter how tired or unhappy a person may be, the song of the Rhiannon Rose that has grown in care is beautiful, and fills the soul with happiness and renews tired limbs.  
  
Gandalf sat, listening to the Rhiannon Rose, as it sang it's sweet song. Once heard, never forgotten, even the Rhiannon Roses that are ugly and black in colour and suck the life out of the soul.  
  
Gandalf smiled. It was beautiful, listening to the flowers.  
  
**********  
  
Amethyst looked out over the shire. The little town of hobbiton was shrouded in darkness, covering all the land. She sat on the hill overlooking it, as she had done many times before in her childhood, looking at the view over the village.  
  
She loved this place still, she wanted to stay forever, but she couldn't. She didn't know why she had come back. She knew it would made it harder to leave, and she was being silly, but she couldn't resist seeing the old place, one last time. For no good reason, she burst into tears. She would never see Frodo, or Sam, or anyone else in the Shire again. She couldn't leave, but she had to, for their sake.  
  
She wished she could go back, and be a child again. She wished none of this had happened, and she was back home, sitting in the kitchen watching her father baking, a thing she had spent a lot of her youth doing, and this just being a bad dream or something. She could probably make them forget, but she couldn't. She wouldn't be able to play at being a child, while knowing what she put them through.  
  
She couldn't be a child; it would be like a snake trying to get back into it's old skin. She wiped some of the tears from her face, and wished she wasn't being so selfish. It wasn't about her, it was about them, and everyone else. She would have to pay for what she did, but she couldn't pay.  
  
She suddenly realised that there was a pair of eyes staring into the back of her head. She turned her head around slowly, and saw Ash looking at her, leaning on a tree, still as a statue.  
  
'I was looking for you.' He said simply.  
  
'Oh.' She said.  
  
'Rhiannon is looking for you as well.' Said Ash, 'But I knew she wouldn't find you.'  
  
Amethyst looked at Ash for a moment, and said ' I don't know you.'  
  
' You do.' He said. 'Maybe we've never met, but we know everything about each other.'  
  
Amethyst looked at him dolefully with her big purple eyes, and then looked away, over the Shire.  
  
'You know I love you, don't you?' asked Ash. Amethyst didn't answer.  
  
She sighed, and swished her long dark red hair. ' I know.' She said, ' I love you too, but..'  
  
'What?' asked Ash, 'If anyone's done anything to you, I swear that they will pay with blood..'  
  
' NO ONE'S DONE ANYTHING TO ME!' she burst out saying, ' How come you still love me after what I did to you?'  
  
'I don't know.' Said Ash sitting down next to her,' I just do.'  
  
Amethyst smiled at him half heartedly, and said, ' You're strange sometimes.'  
  
Ash laughed. ' I'll take that as a compliment.'  
  
They where silent for a moment, the air tense. Then Amethyst burst out saying 'I just love Frodo as well, all right! He's my father, and I let him down when he needed me most. I can't love him any more, but my heart yearns for him.'  
  
' You cry because of your guilt for his pain, not because of what you did. ' Ash said, ' But Amethyst, it is no longer a question on who to love, for you can love both of us, in our different ways. '  
  
Amethyst turned her head and looked into his big yellow eyes. She smiled, and then she kissed him sweetly on his lips, closing her eyes. Ash embraced her, and kissed back, enjoy every moment her sweet soft lips touched his. He enjoyed the feeling of her pale white skin on his. He enjoyed the sweet caress of his hand on hers. He could feel the pure magic in his crawl all over her body, feeling it, exploring it, telling him everything he needed to know about her. He felt her magic doing the same, covering the two bodies, intertwining together. He enjoyed the touch of their magic on their skin  
  
He enjoyed all of this for a good five seconds. Then, Amethyst drew out of the kiss, shivering. They looked into each other eyes, and then they kissed again, softer and shorter, but still as melodious.  
  
' Ash.' She said, ' Will you love me?'  
  
'Yes.' He answered simply.  
  
She hugged him, and as if reading his thoughts said, ' Where shall we go? What shall we do?'  
  
Ash smiled at her, and said, ' We will go to the stars and back, we shall travel to the highest mountain, and to the darkest cave. We shall go everywhere, but what we do is up to you.'  
  
' I wish..' Her words faltered for a moment, and then she continued. ' I wish to help the rest of us. I wish only for you, but my heart wishes to prevent anyone like Rex coming again, to the ruin of our world and us.'  
  
'And that, my love, you shall have.' He said, getting up. He helped her up, and then they kissed again. As if the kiss was the sealing of a spell, the two lovers disappeared.  
  
To where, no one knows, and where they went afterward is more elusive, but for that time, all that was in this spot for a moment after they left was the sound of two lovers, giggling in their love for each other, wishing for their gentle passion never to die.  
  
And it never did.  
  
**********  
  
The door opened to Bag End. Merry walked in, followed closely by Frodo. Pippin, who had been dabbing his eye with a handkerchief, trying to be brave. Then he looked up and yelled out in the croaky voice of some one who had been crying for too long, 'FRODO!'  
  
He jumped up, and threw his arms around his older cousin. Sam rushed over, and did the same, while Rose, a little more reserved watched for a moment through teary eyes. Then as the two hobbit-men let go of him, she padded over to him, and hugged him hard, only a few tears leaking out of her eyes. She let go of him, and Frodo kissed her companionably on her cheek.  
  
Rose and Sam led him to a chair, in which he sat down, between Pippin and Sam. He smiled, and drew a deep breath.  
  
' Well, I'm back.' He said.  
  
  
  
END.  
  
********** 


	21. Notes and outtakes bloopers

Amethyst Notes (vanity publishing)  
  
The ending to this story was difficult for me, as I wasn't sure what to do.  
  
I did originally think of a version where Amethyst killed Frodo, and the nymph race did go to Sidaradiijes. But then I realised it wasn't a good ending. Then I thought that Amethyst would kill herself out of guilt, and her blood hitting the ground would reverse the process, saving the world. I didn't use it, as it was far too depressing.  
  
I did write a version in which Frodo went back to the havens, but it didn't seen quiet right. I couldn't put my finger on it for a while, and realised why the end of Lord of the Rings felt odd: It wasn't right. Frodo deserved happiness in the Shire.  
  
I don't know what's going to happen to him, but I would like to try to write a sequel, with anyone's helps of course. I can't seem to get it to go right in my mind. If anyone would like to help, me please email me at wolfmaiden23@hotmail.com. But now to how I decided to get the ending......  
  
I couldn't figure out how to finish it, when I decided to watch Spaced. It is a programme about two people who live together pretending to be a professional couple to keep a flat. I watched the end of the second series, and am ashamed to say I stole most of the ending from spaced, because I liked it, and as this is fanfiction, I'm allowed to do stuff like that. I shouldn't have really, but it just happened. It isn't the ending they use, but a deleted scene, which I thought was brilliant. (Okay, it's a bad thing to do, but the guy who did the movie signs practically lifted the ending from Alfred hitcock's the birds, so, I don't think I'm the worse)  
  
If you are wondering about the whole Rhiannon Rose thing, I shan't explain, because if I get around to doing the sequel it shall explain, but for the time being, let's just say Gandalf discovered it. Let's also say that Aster met Gandalf long before Rex, and definitely before he threw her out.  
  
There are many other references to movies, books and TV programmes in here, and thank god I didn't put a Matrix reference in! I don't think I did, well, not at least the usual one (the one where the character hangs in the air, just before a kick)  
  
One reference I think is a little usual is the one from eXisteZ, because it's a little known movie. That is when as blows out the base of Myotisis's spine. This is the end of the movie, when the woman realises that her bodyguard is her real assassin. What he yells is what is shouted in the movie.  
  
The thing with the scrabble letters came out of my mind for no good reason. As you probably know, That is a reference to the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, when they are trying to work out the question of life, the universe and everything.  
  
The bit where Rhiannon and Gimli are sobbing is a reference to the first episode of spaced. In later chapters, I tried to get things to run on, like in Spaced. (If you haven't seen it, you don't know what you're missing, it's a program on Channel 4 in England, and you can order it off channel 4 at the shop. It's about two people who pretend to be a professional couple to get a flat. It is really, really good, and can even make my friends laugh, which is an achievement as they don't like what I like.)  
  
The name Rex and Ebony use in this story (Hiligard) is the name of a Took who died young. Check it out, I promise it should be there in appendix C.  
  
The bit with the spring was just for my personal like. I liked the idea of baptism, i.e. being baptised into god's family. In this story she is removed from her old, hobbit identity, and then given her new nymph identity, but I do not believe baptism can tell you who you are, but show you what you want to be. Don't get into a big religious debate with me, I just write fanfiction.  
  
The whole dream sequence things was a little Hysteria (screenplay) mixed with Memento, Matrix and eXistenZ. I always find dream sequences an interesting (although admittedly a lazy) way of showing character personality and maybe premonitions. In one of them, the one when she's ill, there is a reference to Alice in Wonderland.  
  
The childhood game, in which Amethyst makes up stories to play is sort of a reference to the TV series of Mona the Vampire.  
  
The last words Amethyst say's to Frodo, 'For I am just a cloud' is from a poem by U.A Fanthorpe. It was called 'old man, Old Man' and was about a father who ignored his children. I'm not saying Frodo ignored the child, I just liked the last few lines. They made me cry when I read it, as the poem is very touching. I kinda had to edit them, but please forgive. Please read it, as it'd a very good poem, even if you have to study it for GCSE (which is NOT the reason why I put it in!)  
  
The Idea for Ebony came from a mixture of Drussila in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alice in Alec McGees game and a mistress in Randell and Hopkirk (deceased) [episode 4, paranoia]. Basically, I got the idea that Rex should have a mad woman to love, as he is a mixture of Spike, Ram from the tribe, (I think it was series 4, but if I'm wrong I'm sorry. He was at least the leader of the tecno's.), and Lethe from Demonology 101 (at http://faith.rydia.net It's really good, trust me. Again, I admit I plagiarised a few lines from that.).  
  
There is yet another reference to Spaced in the scene with Merry and Frodo. In the way Merry tries to get Frodo to stay, is more or less like in the programme, and what Frodo says about asking Merry if he wants him to stay is them same. I just liked the sentimental touch there.  
  
Rhiannon the Blue and Xandra the blue are different. Rhiannon for instance, is fictional, while Xandra is the name of a fanfic writer. One of my friends gets a cameo in this (scarlet Webb), as she always bugs me to put ones in, and I was going to have all of my mates in there, but I changed my mind.  
  
I know I was really nasty to Legolas in this fic, but I have no clue why. I suppose because he's beautiful (grins evilly) and I don't personally fancy him. He just seems to me to be in the right place whenever I need a serious injury.  
  
But, on a different note, there is going to be a second story of Amethyst. It's sort of a love story, but there will be action from all of our favourite hobbits, wizards, dwarf and elf.( If I can get around to working out the damn PLOT! All help is appreciated on this, especially if anyone wants to co-write this with me). But understand that I may do a Tolkien, and hand the torch over to our newest characters, (i.e Amethyst's children)  
  
Thank you for reading and reviewing and so on. I hope you've enjoyed reading this stuff, as much as I've enjoyed writing it. It's almost a pity to end it, but I have to let it go. But, on the upside, I get to give Amethyst, Aster and Rhiannon a change of scene. I might even meet her one- day, if she doesn't mind.  
  
  
  
The outtakes (in no particular order)  
  
  
  
When Rex is stabbing Asters body..  
  
*stab*  
  
*Looks at crowd *  
  
Rex: One from the vaults! (everyone cracks up laughing as Aster gets up, covered in fake blood)  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!!!!!!  
  
When discussing what Amethyst is.?  
  
Merry: Yeah right.  
  
Frodo: I have a point. You seem to think that just because I can't remember the F****** lines.(Bursts out laughing. All of them start to laugh)  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) Oh god.CUT!  
  
When Frodo greets Pippin.  
  
(Pippin runs up to him and Jumps on him, knocking Frodo to the ground. They both start laughing, and then Pippin pretends to shag him.)  
  
Pippin: Oh, I'm such a sexy beast!!!  
  
(Everyone on set starts laughing.)  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) .CUT  
  
After Ash appears to her when she runs away.  
  
Amethyst: ASH!  
  
(Ash walks in the shot.) Ash: Yes? You wanted me?'  
  
(Amethyst bursts out laughing.)  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
When Amethyst gets back to the hole.  
  
Merry: (waving his finger) do you know how much trouble you're in.(Starts laughing)  
  
(Amethyst starts laughing.)  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT! Okay, scene 67, take 1347845789587957894.  
  
Ash and Arwen  
  
Ash: I know of little halflings.oh F***, I got my lines mixed up again!  
  
(Arwen starts to laugh)  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
Elanor and Amethyst  
  
Amethyst: you don't like me, do you Elle?  
  
Elanor: what are you trying to say?  
  
Amethyst: (just for a few seconds she's quiet. Then she start to laugh)  
  
Elanor: Okay, maybe that was rhetorical! (Bursts out laughing herself)  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
Pippin, Sam and Frodo in the study.  
  
Pippin: FRODO! (The door sticks) (Muffled) S****!  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
Take 2  
  
Pippin: FRODO! (tries to open the door) (Muffled) COCK!  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
Take 3  
  
Pippin: FRODO! ( The door doesn't open. Pippin kicks it a few times, and finally it falls on the floor.)  
  
Pippin: THE DOOR IS OPEN!  
  
(Frodo and Sam start to laugh, as well as Pippin)  
  
Pippin: I don't see what's wrong with that?  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
Take 4  
  
Pippin: (opens the door with ease, and falls flat on his face, as he isn't used to it.)  
  
Sam: (Starts to laugh. The set is in hysterics.)  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
  
  
Pippin: Right, but what does that mean?  
  
Frodo: (starts laughing)  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
Rex: And I've got my Ebony a little present..  
  
Ebony: And I've got you a present...(flashes him)  
  
(Rex starts to laugh.)  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
Frodo: 'I need you to live! You're the only thing that keeps me going on like this! I would have left long ago if you hadn't come into my life, like a little ray of light. Gemstone, if you die, you'll take a part of me with you. Please, I love you, I need you!'  
  
Amethyst: BOO!!  
  
Frodo: AHH! (starts to laugh)  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
(Amethyst walks into the dark kitchen)  
  
Sam: Do you like scary movies?  
  
(Amethyst starts to laugh)  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
Ash: Are we there yet? (Everyone on set is laughing)  
  
Legolas: No  
  
Ash: Are we there yet?  
  
Legolas: No  
  
Ash: Are we there yet?  
  
Legolas: No  
  
Ash: Are we there yet?  
  
Legolas: (Goes on for a couple of steps) Yes. Now we are.  
  
  
  
(Rex stops the cart. We are filming from Amethyst being in the back)  
  
Rex: Right that's far enough!  
  
Amethyst: (jolted across the cart) S***! (Starts laughing)  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
  
  
Ash and co arrive at Bag end.  
  
Ash: (Tries to jump over fence and ends up only going half way. He slowly slips over the fence, laughing.)  
  
Legolas: (laughing as he comes into the shot looking blurry.) Are you all right?  
  
Ash: (laughing) NO!  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
Frodo, ash, Myotisis and Legolas are discussing Amethyst and where she's been taken.  
  
Frodo: Do you know how to get there?  
  
Ash: Yes, sort of.. But you've got to remind me of my lines, as I've forgotten them.(Hits table as everyone bursts out laughing) We shall be the fellowship of the kitchen table!  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
The bit when Rex does a Galadriel.  
  
Rex: Go on, have a look. It's all in the Shire, the place you want to be.  
  
Amethyst: I see, I see that Shaggy will get another number one! (Bursts out laughing with Rex)  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
  
  
Aster attacks Gandalf.  
  
Aster: Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! (Throws a knife at him, missing him completely)  
  
Gandalf: that was disturbing..  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
Take two  
  
Aster: ( Aster jumps out of tree, and misses him completely) S***!  
  
Gandalf: (starts to laugh)  
  
Aster: F*** you!  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
Take three  
  
(Aster and Gandalf are dancing)  
  
Gandalf: IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE, SO HOT! SO TAKE OFF ALL OF YOUR CLOTHES.  
  
Aster: I'm getting so hot; I Just Want To Take My Clothes Off.  
  
Gandalf :IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE, SO HOT! SO TAKE OFF ALL OF YOUR CLOTHES. I'M GETTING SO HOT.  
  
Aster: I Just Want To Take My Clothes Off.  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT!  
  
Afterwards..  
  
Scarlet: Aster, you might want to get off Gandalf.  
  
Aster: (bursts out laughing.)  
  
Gandalf: (Sitting up) OH my god.. (Laughs. The whole set is in hysteric)  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
When Ash blows Myotisis's spine out.  
  
Myotisis: AH! (dies)  
  
Legolas and Ash: I only wanted to blow the bloody arms off!  
  
(Everyone starts to laugh)  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
Gimli and Rhiannon in the dudgeon  
  
Gimli and Rhiannon: Ten green bottles, sitting on the wall, ten green bottles sitting on the wall!  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
In the dungeons  
  
Legolas: Where's Aster? And Scarlet?  
  
Frodo, Sam, Ash and Gandalf: over there.  
  
(looks over to see Aster and Scarlet in the dungeon dancing to very loud clubbing music.)  
  
(Everyone starts to laugh.)  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
Scarlet: Kathaerdous? What the heck is the Kath erd dus? Kath a doths? Kath ath ath ping pong dong lous! (Starts to gag and laugh.)  
  
Xandra the Director: CUT!  
  
Denver: My lord, how may I serve you?  
  
Rex: The blood for the ceremony has escaped from the dungeons Denver, You couldn't possibly go and stop it running away, could you? But make sure no blood is split, it would be a pity to have to put the Nerhurrevd back.  
  
Denver: Do you want fries with that?  
  
Xandra the Director: (laughing) CUT! 


End file.
